Save Money, Live Better
by Vikki3775
Summary: "'Save money, live better.' That's what repeated through Rachel's head as she entered the enormous superstore." If you know this slogan, than you already have a feel of what this story is about. Finchel AU.
1. Chapter 1

**Hey guys! This is a new five shot story since I still don't know how to turn in a one shot so…**

**Does anyone remember the many interviews that Cory Monteith had where he told people his many jobs he had back when he lived in Canada? well this certain job standed out to me so I decided to make a finchel story out of it! I hope you enjoy!**

**~Vikki3775**

….

**'Save money, live better.'** That's what repeated through Rachel's head as she entered the enormous superstore. It's strange how one minute she's so sure about something that could've turned out for the better; something that ends up backfiring due to an oversized ego and a lack of foundation to fall back on. So that's why **'save money live better'** is her personal slogan for this year, and that's why she's standing in the entrance of Wal-Mart itself, silently praying for a good new year with this new job as a community service employee. _'But maybe this was a mistake.'_ The brunette thought. _'Maybe I don't belong here at this job, or better yet in New York. I don't know may-_

"Welcome to Walmart!" A deep, less enthusiastic voice startles the brunette from her thoughts. Rachel looks up and comes face to face with the most beautiful man before her. He has khakis and a navy blue uniform shirt on with a name tag that has the name _'Finn'_ written on it. He looks about a foot taller than her and a small smile/ grimace is on his face, and he looks absolutely adorable.

_'Im guessing he's the Wal-mart greeter.'_ The girl thought. As Rachel walks up to Finn she takes the small amount of time that it takes to get her to whet he's standing to take in his gorgeous appearance. Finally the petit diva speaks up.

"H-Hi. My name is Rachel Berry and I'm here to start my new job as a community service employee. Do you happen to know where your boss is?" Rachel's breath catches in her throat when a breathtaking half smile spreads upon the mans face.

"Oh so you're the new employee Will was talking about!" Finn stretches his hand out for a shake. "Hi. I'm Finn Hudson as you can see on my name tag." He gestures to his tag. As Rachel's hand is firmly grasped into his she nearly gasps from the sparks going through her her from the simple touch. She sighs.

"Here. 'Ill show you where the boss is." As Finn walks ahead, Rachel can't help but notice how tall and broad his figure is compared to her own height. When they arrived at the managers office, Finn turns towards rachel.

"Well here ya go. If you need any help you can come to me of course. I seriously think you'd be helping me too from being bored out of my mind over there if you know what i'm saying." He whispered discreetly; mindful of the door of the manager's office slightly open. The diva giggled; something she hasn't done in a while. That alone told her that this guy was different.

"Well thank you. T-That was very chivalrous of you." The beautiful boy smiled.

"Thanks." Suddenly the smile fell off and a look of confusion grew on his face instead. "Wait that's a good thing right?" She laughed.

"Yes that's a very good thing." then a lopsided smile grew in place of his apparent confusion; something that almost made Rachel gasp. It was one of the most strangest yet beautiful smile she has ever seen on a human being. Suddenly as Finn walked back to his spot at the front of the store a man, who she presumed was Will walked out of his office and greeted her.

"Hello. You're Rachel right?" She nodded and he continued. "I got your application and it was pretty impressive. You're here for a full time job right?"

"Yes. I'll stay for as long as you need me to." As he nodded in response, he handed her a laminated piece of paper that she didn't even know he had.

"Well here's your schedule. At the front of the store where Finn is over there is the machine where you clock in. I expect you to clock in every time you come to or leave the store, that includes lunch breaks." When Rachel nodded he continued. " If you know you're not going to be able to make work, I expect you to call me an hour in advance so that I can find someone else to take your spot. My phone number is on your schedule. Any questions because i've got to get back to work." He exclaimed as he gestured towards his office. Rachel shook her head no.

"Ok then. Your uniform was ordered and will be here tomorrow so you'll have to work today in your normal clothes. You don't have to work much today because you're new but I expect you to be prepared." Then he touched her shoulder kindly and smiled. 'Welcome aboard Rachel.'"

When he left, the brunette turned around and caught Finns gaze. She giggled when she saw him give her two thumbs up with a smile, before an elderly man approached him in hopes of getting directions to the pharmacy section; something that he obviously knew nothing about.

Rachel sighed happily as she looked around the superstore that she would now call her permanent home. "Maybe this won't be bad after all" she muttered.

…

**Well this is the first chapter! Don't worry i'll make these chapters **_**much **_**longer so that I'll fit enough in the story! I'm about to post a story of how to save a life too so check that out also.**

**Bye!**


	2. Chapter 2: the first day

**Hey guys! This is as new chapter of save money live better! Thank you so much for giving me your opinions! I really appreciate it!**

**~Vikki3775**

Rachel took a deep breath when she exited the cramped customer service area; also known as her work place.

Today was rough for her. Not only was it her first day of work, but she had to get used to her duties as a customer service employee, which also meant that she had to work with others; something that never worked well in her records.

Ever since she was little, she wanted to be the best at everything; especially the arts. Of course that came with a price since she was bullied and ridiculed for doing so. So she knew that today wasn't a surprise when she met her two co-workers.

Quinn and Santana. Their names alone made the brunette cringe. Two beautiful girls who consisted of faulty hair extensions, an hourglass figure and a cynical smile.

Things were fine... Until Will ordered Quinn to teach Rachel how to organize returned items.

"Okay listen up Rupal. This cart over here" She said pointing at a decrepit shopping cart. "is for electronic devices. You put the old, returned, ugly electronic items in this cart. Follow me." She said pointing to the back room. As the brunette followed her as ordered, the blond haired beauty led her to an area full of hangers and containers.

"This is where you'll put the clothing hangers when they are returned. You fold the clothes up and put them in the carts with the clothes in them. Then you put the hangers in these containers." She said pointing at the plastic bins. Suddenly the girl walked ahead towards the cashier without warning, throwing a "keep up man hands" towards the petit diva. Rachel sighed.

"Okay... when a person comes up for bottle return, they have a ticket with the amount of money that they earned. At the bottom of their receipt is their PIN number. You plug that in, along with the amount earned and you give them that money back. For returning, you take a look at the persons receipt, the damage on the item and you plug in the cost of the item before returning their money." She then picks up a device that looks a lot like a cordless telephone. "This is the microphone. Any announcements that need to be made in the store are given here." Quinn points to a red button on the device. "You hold this button down and speak through it." Finally as if the girl said everything she was supposed to say, she turned towards the trainee, eyebrows raised. "Any questions?" she asked impatiently. But before the brunette asked one single question of many, the young adult cut her off. "Okay that's it. You can go do whatever Man Hands... " she said, her voice drifting off as she rudely waved her hand in dismissal. She then left the area with a very confused Rachel Berry in the middle of her shared workplace.

Rachel knew she couldn't just sit there and do nothing so she started organizing children's clothes by doing what was instructed.

Suddenly a click, after click of what sounded like heels became louder as a person she guessed was a female came closer to the center. As if on reflex, Rachel stopped what she was doing and straightened up immediately as she faced her first customer, or who she thought was her first customer.

A girl with long black hair, high heeled boots, a protrudent chest and a cocky smirk walked up to the Rachel in the same uniform as the diva but in a more attention seeking form. She then crossed her arms and slightly cocked her head to the side.

"Well, well, well. If it isn't Pippi long stocking herself." She teased while playing with Rachel's pigtails. The trainee gulped. She thought Quinn was bad enough, but another one? She wouldn't leave this shift out alive.

"So you must be Rachel." The girl nodded.

"I'm guessing by the way you didn't flinch when I touched you means that you've already met the warden." She stated.

Rachel was confused. She cleared her throat. "I-I'm sorry warden?" She asked frowning. Santana nodded.

"Yep. A blond haired bitch about... this tall?" She said while raising her hand at the exact height of Quinn, who was about three inches taller than the brunette.

Suddenly something called wit rose inside of Rachel and before she could stop it, she laughed bitterly and muttered _"Yeah, well for her, a bitch is an understatement".  
_  
When she didn't hear any thing else come out of the busty Latina, she turned her head and watched in horror as the girl tried her best to suppress her laughter; failing miserably. Rachel eyes widened.

"Oh my gosh! I said that out loud didn't I? Please don't tell Quinn." The brunette pleaded desperately as she looked at the girls amused expression. She couldn't lose this job right when she started it. The Latina shook her head.

"Oh trust me I won't. I hate her just as much as you do." She smiled. "I like you new girl." She said as she extended her arm for a shake. "I'm Santana." She said when Rachel's hand shook hers. An uneasy smile grew upon the new employees face.

"N-Nice to meet you Santana. Um…is there a way that you can show me what to do here? Quinn rushed through everything." She exclaimed when she saw Santana's confused expression. She nodded and smiled.

"Sure Yentil."

…**.…  
**  
"Hey there foxy ladies!" A masculine voice said, breaking all girls from their duties. All three heads snapped up in the direction of the voice as a boy in the same exact uniform walked up to the service counter in confidence. He had the most ridiculous hairstyle and was obviously focusing on Quinn who didn't give him a second glance. But Rachel wasn't focused on him. In fact, Quinn wasn't focused on him either because both employees were too busy looking at Finn who followed right behind him; a cute lop sided smile on his face.

"Hey girls." He said to Quinn and Santana in a normal but genuine voice. The freckled people greeter then caught Rachel's gaze.

"Rachel, hey. " he said in a such a different tone; a softer tone. Rachel didn't know if she was seeing things but she also noticed a sparkle in his eyes when her name left his lips.

Santana nodded in response and Quinn smiled a little too wide when she said "hi" back; something the Finn didn't notice because he was too focused on the brunette before him. Rachel took a shaky breath.

"H-Hi Finn. H-how's it going? She asked; stumbling over her words.

"Things are fine. Of course work was boring as ever. Greeting people at the door, giving fake directions to the customers, the usual." He said sighing dramatically to add effect. Rachel giggled.

The other guy must've caught their exchange because he turned towards the trainee and put a hand through his Mohawk before opening his mouth.

"Hey short stack I'm Noah Puckerman but you can call me Puck." He greeted while not too discretely undressing her with his eyes. Rachel shifted uncomfortably.

"I'm Rachel Berry. Nice to meet you Noah." She said smiling.

"I would prefer Puck but… baby you can call me whatever you want, if you know what I'm saying." He exclaimed wiggling his eyebrows. At that moment Rachel thought she saw Finn tense up at the corner of her eye. The brunette decided to push that observation aside as she rolled her eyes and smiled.

_" Finn doesn't like her."_ She thought. "_It's just a fantasy". _Suddenly Finn cleared his throat in order to clear the apparent awkwardness in the room.

"Well, Puck and I came here because we wanted to invite you girls to dinner at a restaurant not far from here." He exclaimed turning towards Rachel.

"Yeah my mans right." Puck said patting Finn on the back. "The whole staff is coming and we wanted to ask you guys."

"I'm all for it." Santana said abruptly. " I'll do anything to get out of this hell hole."

"Me too." Quinn agreed looking at Finn. But Finn was still looking at the brunette.

"Rach, do you wanna go?" He asked, curious. Rachel almost gasped at the name. Normally she didn't like nicknames but the one he gave her…fit.

Almost as if it was out of jealousy, Quinn spoke up before Rachel can even responded. "Well Rachel still has to get used to her new duties so..." Santana scoffed.

"Oh please Quinn. This girl's got it down pact, she's ready to go." As if that was all the information that was needed, Finn smiled and turned towards Rachel again.

"Great."

…**,…**

"So you won't go on one date with me."

"I said no Puck!"

"Why the fuck not?"

"Because I told you. I have feelings for someone else." Quinn hissed quietly.

"What? You still have feelings for Fi-"

"Shhh! Shut up idiot! He's right behind us!" The blond beauty said harshly.

Rachel watched the exchange between the two employees closely from behind as everyone walked a few blocks towards the "Ship Shake Diner" for dinner. The brunette tried not to slump her shoulders at the thought of Quinn and Finn together. It's worse enough that she's new to this whole Walmart job, but now she knows that she not the only one who's been hypnotized by this beautiful creature, also known as one Finn Hudson.

She's had competition before. She's been on debate teams, math leagues and in glee club. She knows how hard it is to fight for what you want. But this time it was different. This competition is one that has a unanimous win. Quinn obviously symbolizes a person that every girl would want to be and who every guy would want to date. Especially Noah.

"So how was your first day?" A familiar voice said; interrupting the girl from her thoughts; frightening her. Rachel turned around and let out a sigh of relief when she saw that it was just Finn.

"Oh my gosh Finn you nearly scared me to death." She said putting a hand over her heart.

"I'm sorry Rach." Finn said sheepishly. "I was just wondering if you were still here with us. Penny for your thoughts?" He asked genuinely.

Rachel sighed dejectedly. "More like a dollar for your thoughts. Today was sort of a rough day I guess."

Finn frowned. "Why? Did something bad happen?" He asked concerned. Watching Finn become easily concerned about her well being warmed her heart. At least someone was by her side.

"N-No not exactly." She said looking up at the tall boy. "It's just kind of hard getting used to my job and knowing what to do. You know how it feels starting something new right?" Finn nodded in response. "I-I just need to get used to the routine and what's expected for the job."

"Well I know how you feel there." He said softly. "It takes awhile for you to get used to anything new. Can I tell you a secret?" He asked whispering, while leaning in to her right side. The staff stopped in front of a stop light and Rachel took the opportunity to turn to his direction.

"What?" She whispered back.

"I wasn't supposed to get the job I have now. I originally signed up for the electronic area since I love computers and stuff. I'm kind of a nerd." Rachel giggled. "Well as I was saying, Will pulled me in for a meeting a week before I started my job and said that he wanted to assign me for the people greeters position instead. You wanna know why?" Rachel nodded yes as the stop light turned green and allowed them to cross the street, towards the next block.

"He said that he saw a lot of promise in me and that he knew that I had the potential to brighten someone's day right when they entered the store." He exclaimed. Rachel smiled at this. Rachel did notice that when she walked in Walmart for the first time, she felt happier about her situation due to Finns apparent smile/grimace on his face. If simple things like that can make a customer come back, then that's what Rachel would do too.

"Listen Rachel I've had so many jobs before this." He said speaking in a normal volume again.

"Like what?" Rachel asked curiously.

Finn rubbed his chin as he thought. "Umm… a bus driver, cab driver, a telemarketer which I hated very much..." Rachel laughed as the freckled employee went down the line with what jobs he had.

"And… I think that's about it."He said turning slightly to look at her again.

"What I'm saying is that all of those jobs were a fluke for me because I wasn't getting anything out of it, but with this job I am. It may not be the best job, but the pays… good and the employees are… moderately kind, so I was all set for it. Plus, you're not gonna find a boss as caring and awesome as Will. He's fair to all of us, and he never gives us a hard time if something bad happens."

"That must be how Puck got accepted." Rachel commented teasingly while giggling slightly. Finn smiled.

"Yeah. And I bet if you ask anybody here, they'll tell you the same story. I bet I'm not the only one who's applied for a different job and has been given something else because of what Will believed they we capable of. So don't sweat it. We've all had our rough days." he said stopping in front of another stop light; turning fully towards her. Rachel then reached out and squeezed his arm softly in thanks. But Finn still watched her warily.

"Something else is bothering you?" He stated more than questioned. When the torn apart diva nodded reluctantly, Finn nodded, a smirk on his face.

"Let me guess… does this involve a certain two people named Quinn and Santana?" The short girl's eyes widened in surprise. "H-How did you know?" She asked quietly, mindful of the individuals in front of her. Finn scoffed slightly.

"You don't think I've dealt with their crazy? I can tell you on many occasions of how many times Santana's insulted me and how Quinn's tried to go out with me. Unfortunately that's just who they are." Finn watched as Rachel stared into space… processing over the information.

"The last employee quit due to and I quote, _"insults and preposterous rumors about her around the store. " _Rumor also has it that both Quinn and Santana drew pornographic pictures of her on the girls bathroom stalls. I felt bad for her. She was nice." He sighed looking at the ground.

"Well I don't really have much of an issue with Santana." She said as the the diner came in their view from afar. "It's… just Quinn. She obviously doesn't like me."

"Really?" Finn asked incredulously. "She's usually nice to the new people, of course if they don't get in her way or they're not Puck. You've just gotta spend time with her. She's always closed up about her feelings. You don't quite know where you stand with her sometimes. It's difficult but I know it'll work out with you." He stated firmly, yet softer than ever. "I believe in you." He encouraged as he continued to look into the brunettes brown orbs. They stopped in front of the dinner.

Rachel's eyes watered up. If she had someone alongside her when she was in a recession before, she wouldn't be here, but at the same time she wouldn't have met this amazing man in front of her. Maybe things were looking up.

"Thank you." She croaked out softly. Then she hesitantly stretched her arms out. "I'm gonna hug you know okay?" She stated warily. She then got her answer when she was scooped up into his arms and hugged tightly. And if she knew any better, the Walmart employee thought she felt a gentle kiss on her cheek. When they pulled apart Finn gave her his famous lop- sided grin.

"Let's go in." He said as the walked in together, his hand placed on the small of her back.

…**.…  
**  
**Well that's it guys! I told you it would be longer! A new record!**

**A/N: I made sure to add some details from both glee and Cory Monteiths life, so I'm calling a disclaimer for these details!**

**Ps: you guys are awesome! I'm only fifteen so these comments and follows mean a lot to me. Thanks!**

**~Vikki3775**


	3. Chapter 3: Dining and Disscusions

**Hey guys! This is chapter three of save money live better!**

**A/N: since I've gotten so many wonderful reviews lately I decided to extend the story! I don't know what chapter I'll end the story with but I'll tell ya when I figure it out. Enjoy!**

**~Vikki3775**

  
As both Finn and Rachel walked into the diner, the petit trainee looked on in awe at the retro styled restaurant as if it carried the key to solve all of her problems. At the corner of her eye she saw Finn grin at her, but the brunette barely noticed.

The restaurant consisted of New York city styled wallpaper and playbills that were scattered on the walls. If any new customer came by, they would've obviously seen that this place was very popular, due to the amount of people in the eatery. But one thing that stood out the most to Rachel was at the back of the eatery; with spotlights pointed in its direction.

_The stage.  
_  
This wasn't just any stage. It was a small little platform where a piano and microphone was placed on top. Rachel then noticed that drums were placed at the back of the platform for musical use also. It was every performers dream.

"Rach?" Finn asked as he chuckled before reaching out to shake her shoulders lightly. She snapped out of her reverie.

"I'm sorry, what?" She said in a daze. The freckled boy smiled.

"Our table's over there." He said as he pointed towards a large table filled with people in the same exact uniform as both of the young adults. She recognized Quinn, Puck and Santana but there were a few others that the brunette didn't recognize. There was an African American woman, a highly groomed male, an Asian woman and a boy in a wheel chair with glasses. They were all waving the two over with smiles on their faces. Finn walked forward; Rachel not far behind and they both took the last two available seats, which was next to each other, unsurprisingly.

"It's about time you two." Puck said starting the conversation. "Dude if you wanted to fuck her just do it already. Don't just undress her with your eyes." He said smirking. Rachel turned to look at Finn and already started to see a tiny tint of blush form upon his cheeks. Rachel then turned to Puck and raised her eyebrows.

"Well excuse me Noah, but Finn and I were having a very interesting conversation, which didn't involve any sexual activity." Santana scoffed.

"Oh yeah? Did it involve the two of you bumping uglies because I've gotta tell ya, it's-"

"Okay a little too much information guys!" A male voice interrupted. At that response, Rachel decides to turn and look at the amazingly fashioned boy in front of her. He had an eskimo hat on, a buttoned up shirt, knee high boots and really, really tight pants on. It was to the point where Rachel couldn't even express how tight those pants looked on him.

"I don't think we've been introduced. I'm Kurt Hummel. You must be Rachel." The girl smiled.

"Yes I am. It's very nice to meet you Kur-"

"Wait, what kind of hairstyle is that? Are you seriously trying to be Pippi Long stocking?" Kurt screeched; looking horrified.

"That's exactly what I said, Petunia." Santana said abruptly.

"Um…no?" Rachel said hesitantly; unsure of what to say.

"Because honey you can do so much better." A feminine voice said. Then Rachel took the initiative to turn and look at the person who appeared to be the African American girl. Kurt nodded in agreement.

"Hi I'm Mercedes, and Kurt's right. I can see from here that your hair is much too beautiful and soft to be put in simple braids. I wouldn't say it the way Kurt would but his intentions were right." Rachel smiled.

"Thank you Mercedes. It's very nice to meet you too." Suddenly a clearing of the throat disrupted the exchange between both women as the Asian girl and the guy in the glasses came into the brunettes view.

"Hi we haven't been introduced. I'm Artie and this is Tina. I work in the electronics section while Tina works at the pharmacy" Rachel watched as Artie and Tina made subtle glances towards each other as the boy was introducing them. Rachel almost immediately made the conclusion that both employees had feelings for each other. Rachel nodded.

"I'm Rachel, it's nice to meet you." She said genuinely.

Small talk between the staff took place until a blond haired waitress and a waiter with gelled hair approached their table; smiles on their faces.

"Hey guys! How's it going?" The male said while grabbing the menus before anyone ordered. Thankfully, everyone knew what they wanted already; including the brunette.

"Hey Blaine." The whole table greeted, except for Rachel.

"Hey Blaine" Kurt called out, gesturing towards Rachel. "We have a new staff member and her names Rachel Berry" Blaine then looked directly at her and smiled.

"Hi I'm Blaine. This is Brittany." He greeted while gesturing towards the blond who was taking to Santana. Brittany then stopped her conversation at the hearing of her name and looked at Rachel, smiling also.

"Its nice to meet you guys." The trainee said nodding.

"Yeah, my girl Brittany here owns this restaurant." Santana said patting the girl on the back. And at that moment Rachel almost swore that she saw a sparkle gleam in the Latina's eyes when she said that.

"Well my parents actually own the place. Lord Tubbingtons been trying to take over the business, but I told him that he couldn't until stopped smoking." Brittany exclaimed while sighing.

Rachel frowned. "W-Who's Lord Tubbington?"

"It's her cat." Finn answered surprising Rachel. For a moment, Rachel didn't even know that Finn was present since he's been so quite this whole time.

"…Anyways, is everyone getting the usual?" Blaine asked the table of adults as he wrote everything down on a notepad. When everyone nodded, the short man turned towards Rachel. "And what would you like Rachel?" The girl looked down at her menu and pointed to the meal that she wanted.

"Um…I'll have the skyscraper Caesar salad with some water please." Blaine raised his eyebrows questioningly.

"Are you sure? We are very famous for our wraps and burgers here."

"Oh, I'm/she's vegan." Finn and Rachel said at the same time. Things were quiet at the table except for the murmurs of the other customers and the faint music in the background, as everyone looked at the two; Finn especially.

The broad boy shrugged. "What? I know she's a vegan. So?" He said, as blush appeared again on his cheeks for a second time that night. Blaine then cleared his throat and looked at Rachel again.

"Well Rachel we do sell tofu burgers and they are delicious." Rachel finally relented and she smiled as she nodded in agreement.

"Okay I'll try it." Blaine smiled.

"Good. Well guys Brittany and I will be back with your food! Come on Britt." He hollered as he turned around and left with the menus and his notepad.

…

"Hey guys, you know what we should do? We should go to a local club tonight." Everyone except Santana groaned at this idea as Puck shrugged with a _"what's wrong with that" _expression on his face. Finn hung his head and sighed.

"Puck why would we want to go out? It's Friday, and I'm pretty sure tha-"

"Oh please Hudson you haven't gotten some in days!" Santana interrupted, snarling. "Hey, I want to be the first one to say "congragu-lay-sions" as I hand you a big certificate that spells 'manhood'."

"Yeah, Lopez is right. Huddy you haven't gone out since-"

"Can we just drop it!" Finn growled as he interrupted the conversation at hand. Silence took over everyone the co-workers sent sympathetic glances towards the frustrated boy, excluding Rachel who looked completely confused.

"Dude I'm sorry. But we at least expect you to come. It'll be fun, and you can finally get with someone." He said trying to lighten the mood, only succeeding slightly. "That reminds me. I've gotta shave my "hello giggles."

"What I-… do I even want to know?" Rachel asked hesitantly, getting five very rushed 'no's in response. Finn sighed.

"Fine." He said looking up at Puck. "I'll go to the stupid club." Mumbles of excitement and eagerness filled the table immediately as Finn looked at Rachel; smiling softly.

"Rach you know you don't have to go right? I'm just doing this to get these guys to stop beating me up about it."

"No, I want to go." She said as she reassured Finn more than herself. "You'll need a club buddy while everyone's acting crazy. I am more than happy to attend with you." She said with a beam. Finn smiled, and leaned over and whispered in her ear.

"And if we get bored or uncomfortable, we can always just sneak out and go watch a movie or something." He suggested as his warm breath tickled the girls ear, making her shiver. Rachel looked up at him,eyes wide.

"O-Okay." She mustered out.

"Alright guys I just texted my girl Britt and she's all for it too, and Petunia asked Blaine to come so we're all set."

"Wait we're gonna go home and change right? Because I cannot go to a club in this outfit." Kurt said frantically.

"Why not Kurt?" Rachel asked,curious.

"Why not? It's never too late to accessorize or put on new clothes. Every time of the day is a party."

"…of course it is Kurt." Quinn said sarcastically while getting up with the rest of the staff.

"Alright, fine. We all meet up at the club at 10 o'clock. Is that fine?" When everyone nodded, Puck continued. "Alright, I'll see you punks later." And with that the mow-hawked male left.

"Alright well I'll see you guys." Quinn said, hugging everyone: except for Rachel who looked hurt when she left.

"I-I'll see you guys." Rachel muttered as she waved faintly at the remaining staff members.

When the cool breeze finally hit her face when she left the restaurant, she was suddenly grabbed into a hug by Finn. When they pulled apart, Finn looked at her sympathetically.

"I'm sorry Rachel. What Quinn did to you was not okay. Trust me, you're not the only one who's been pushed away." He said desolately as his voice drifted off. Something flashed in his beautiful hazel colored eyes that the brunette couldn't point out. Hurt? Anger? She didn't know.

"Finn are you oka-"

"Yeah, yeah I'm fine Rachel." He said in a distraught voice. I'll-I'll see you later." He said as he turned the other direction and retreated back to the direction of his car. As Rachel watched the back of Finns slightly hunched back, the same question from before popped in her head again.

"What the hell was that about?" She muttered exasperatedly.

…

**Well that's it guys! It probably wasn't the best chapter you guys expected but here it is!**

**Again I really appreciate the reviews you guys are giving me. Thanks a lot!**

**~Vikki3775**


	4. Chapter 4: Friends and Flashbacks

**Hey guys! This is the next chapter! Again I appreciate your input and opinions of my stories! Enjoy!**

**P.S: You should read my other stories too! I know they sound kind of sad but they all will have a happy ending!**

**~Vikki3775**

* * *

Rachel groaned as she collapsed on her bed in defeat, when she realized that she had absolutely nothing to wear to the club that night.

The truth is…she's never been to a club. At least not really. The only time she was in an actual club was when she was a bartender for a month. Even then, the brunette wasn't actually there; she was just a worker. She never made any friends and she always tried to finish her shift the fastest so that she can finally escape that exotic building.

She agreed with everyone to come tonight because a: she wanted to fit in and make friends and b: she knew how uneasy Finn was about it. She saw how he shifted in his seat uncomfortably at the diner and she tried her best to analyze the cause of his abrupt outburst at dinner. That alone made her question: "What was he going through?"

She's going through an issue right now; one that determines her appearance to this club. She knew what she had to do, but she wasn't sure if she was going to regret it or not. She had to call Kurt.

Thankfully, they exchanged numbers at dinner; along with everybody else, including the ice queen: Quinn.

Rachel remained laying down as she reached over to her old nightstand and grabbed her phone. After only about two rings, a familiar squeaky voice answered.

"Why hello Ms. Berry, how may I assist you?" Rachel laughed, before sighing dejectedly.

"Kurt it's not like you're my servant. I just need your help." She heard a distant _'honk'_ from the other line that made her silently question where the fashionable extraordinaire was.

"Um, I sort of need your help. I don't know what to wear to the clu-"

"I knew you'd call me sooner or later." Kurt said confidently. "Whats your address?"

Rachel frowned. "W-Why would you need to know my address?"

"So I can come to your house and help, silly!" He said as if the answer was obvious. rachel chuckled and sat up in her bed.

"Ok, um… I live in Bushwick so.."

That's great! I live just two blocks from there. I'll be there in five minutes!"

"Kurt ho-"

"Bye!" He interrupted as he hung up. The brunette sighed. This was going to be an interesting visit.

* * *

"Rachel, come on just come out of the bathroom already!" An exasperated Kurt said.

"No!" She shouted as she crossed her arms. She looked terrible. She knew that something like this was going to happen. She appreciated Kurt's help but the more that she thinks about it, she knows that the help wasn't necessary. About five minutes after their conversation via telephone, Kurt was at her door knocking, and he didn't even greet her when she opened the door; he just rushed in. He did her hair, makeup, and clothes, something that wasn't even asked to be done.

"Just come out! You look fine." the door then cracked open slightly as Rachel walked slowly towards the frustrated boy.

"You didn't even see me before. How could you know that I looked fantastic?" Kurt scoffed.

"I helped you, of course you look fantastic!" he said sassily. "Now go to the mirror again." he gestured towards the mirror attached to her closet and gently pushed her in that direction. Rachel gasped and Kurt smiled. "See? You look amazing."

Rachel was wearing a hip hugging, knee length black dress with two-inch heels. She had black earrings, her star necklace and some makeup which consisted of a smokey eye shadow, lip gloss and light mascara. It was not too 'cake-batter-y' and it was very appropriate for the occasion that night. Rachel turned towards Kurt, smiled and pulled him into a hug.

"Thank you Kurt, I look amazing." They broke apart. Kurt grinned confidently and crossed his arms.

"Well I wouldn't be working in the clothing section at Walmart for nothing now would I?" A bemused Rachel silently shook her head no at the rhetorical question.

"Ok well I already have my outfit on so let's get moving!" He exclaimed as he walked proudly out of the girls room; Rachel following.

* * *

"Damn! Short-stack you are looking fine!" Puck wolf whistled as both Kurt and Rachel approached the front of the club; the area where everyone was supposed to meet. From what Rachel can see, she chose the right decision in asking Kurt to help choose her attire for this evening. Quinn, Santana, Mercedes, and Tina looked fabulous and Tina's normal clothes only really consist of dark colors and black. Before Rachel can somewhat thank the mow-hawked boy for the compliment, Kurt intercepted it.

"Why thank you Puck! I tried my absolute best. You should've seen her clothing catastrophe at her apartment I had to step i-"

"Kurt stop it, she dresses just fine." An familiar masculine voice said. The petit diva then turned around towards his voice and her breath caught in her the throat when he saw his attire for the night.

Finn was wearing a navy blue v-neck sweater with dark wash jeans and black converse. The outfit alone just screamed "average Finn Hudson". She smiled.

"H-Hi Finn." she stammered. "I l-like your sweater." He smiled.

"Thanks. I like your outfit too. It's too bad that Kurt gave you a whole new outfit check for no reason. He can be awfully judgemental sometimes; especially with clothing." She nodded.

"Trust me I know now. I'll keep that in mind the next time I call him for advice."

"Hey!" Kurt screeched suddenly. All employees except for Kurt laughed.

"Okay, well i have to agree with Petunia here. Yentl you actually look like somebody I would like to share lady kisses with." Santana said as she looked her up and down approvingly. Rachel took this comment as a way of the Latina telling her that she was in fact a lesbian. Quinn of course was the only one who hasn't spoke towards the brunette and it took two nudges in the side from Santana to get her to speak.

"Hey Rupaul." Rachel nodded response as she tried her best not to be greatly affected by the insulting name.

"Okay guys, let's go in. I've given the bouncer an extra wad of cash in order for us to skip in line. Ladies first…" Puck said as he gestured towards the doors where the booming music and illuminating lights were. Rachel can already see Finns broad figure tense up at the thought of going in so the brunette rubbed his arm and smiled sympathetically when he relaxed a bit and turned towards her.

"Okay, i'm about to go to a club for the first time." She murmured quietly to herself as they entered the loud building. "Nothing bad can possibly happen, right?"

Boy was she wrong.

* * *

Finn could already start to feel a sense of bad nostalgia when he opened the club. It was uncomfortably crowded, the D.J was playing "Sexy Chick" by David Guetta and people were making themselves at home by the bar where three male bartenders worked.

The boys body froze up immediately as a multiple set of flashbacks flashed before his eyes; ones that were so intense, they caused the hairs on the back of his neck to stand up.

"_Dude! You're back already?! Just in time because i've got just what you want." A man in his mid-thirties slurred as he reached in his safe in order to get Finn's order._

"_J-Just give me anything that you have. You know the deal." The tall teen said as looked around the club uncomfortably._

_The short negotiator nodded earnestly in complete understanding as he handed the bag of-_

"Yo, frankenteen! You coming or what?!" yelled a feminine voice. Finn shook his head rapidly, in hopes of shaking the flashbacks out of his head. when successful, he turned his head towards the voice. It was Santana.

"Y-Yeah. i'm coming." he said as he nodded towards the Latina by the she turned around and started ordering what looked like a "sex on the beach", he gulped. If flashbacks like this were going to continue, then he wasn't going to have fun any time soon.

* * *

"Whooo!" The crowed cheered as the upbeat song ended and changed to the next one. Rachel laughed as she watched a shirtless Brittany and and Santana grind together seductively on the main dance floor. In the past three hours, things have gotten way out of control; so out of control that the brunnette can barely think of the many things that she saw during her first time at a club. Tina and Artie were making out on a nearby couch;Tina seated on his lap. Quinn was flirting with about every guy in the club, while taking glances at Puck who took turns in "satisfying" each girl in his little "Puckzilla groupie", or what he also called his "sex circle". Mercedes was laughing hard with a heavily drunk Kurt and Blaine, as they played with their now unruly hair while they danced. One thing that confused the slightly tipsy brunette was that she couldn't find the six foot three freckled boy that she started becoming really good friends with. She turned her head towards the direction of the bar and spotted him instantly, based on the dazed look on his face. She immediately turned towards Santana and tapped her on the shoulder.

"Hey San, i-i'm gonna go hang with Finn by the bar okay?" She exclaimed as she tried to yell over the loud cheers and music. Santana nodded and stumbled towards her.

"Okay Lenti, I-I'll be here with Brit." She gestured towards the blonde. Suddenly she leaned forward and pecked a surprised Rachel on the lips.

""U-Um… s-sure." she stammered as she turned around and walked towards the area Finn was seated at. she pushed that abrupt kiss to the back of head since she knew that the feisty brunette wouldn't remember when she wakes up the next morning. As she came closer to Finn she noticed that he was staring into space and looked a little paler than when she saw him earlier that night. when she finally approached him, it took three gentle nudges to get him to snap out of his strong reverie.

"Huh?" Finn asked, frowning as he turned towards a concerned Rachel. A warm smile spread on his face when he saw who it was. The smile didn't necessarily reach his eyes but she could see that he was actually happy to see her. She smiled uneasily back as she took a set on the barstool next to him.

"Are you okay Finn You seem a little dazed. You didn't drink too many of those did you?" asked a very concerned Rachel. He chuckled as he looked down at the beer in his hand.

"No Rachel i'm fine and no I didn't drink too much. This is only my second one. he said as he took a sip. He turned towards her. "Plus i-i'm not as comfortable with drinking a lot anyway." she nodded.

"Oh, okay. how come you're not comfortable with drinking?" Finn was about to answer with the original "designated driver" excuse when something by now less crowded dance floor caught his eye.

Fog.

Not just any fog, but smoke. Something that almost instantly turned his reveries back on.

"_Finn, i'm done get out!" A woman cried as she threw his packed belongings out the front door._

"_What, you're just gonna abandon me?! Just kick me out into the streets? I thought I meant something to you!" He yelled as his hands balled up into fists for the third time that day. She shook her head as she stood her ground._

"_No, stealing one thousand dollars from your dear Aunt Sarah was the last straw." she wiped her eyes as she looked down at the wooden floor. She sniffed. "Goodbye Finn."_

"Finn?...FINN." The brunette screamed as she tried her best to shake Finn out of his vivid daydream. Their conversation was fine, until he suddenly started looking towards the dance floor and turned really pale. Rachel watched in horror for a minute as he completely tensed up, clenched his fists, and started breathing rapidly.

He must've heard her screams because he snapped out of it and gasped for breath as he looked at her. His eyes then began to fill with tears and Rachel took that as a cue to get him out of there.

"Finn you wanna leave? I think you need some fresh air." After Finn nodded slowly, she grabbed his hand and pulled him towards the exit of the building. A tense silence fell upon them as they both hopped into a cab and headed towards the one safe place that Rachel could think of at that moment.

"Bushwick avenue please."

* * *

**Well that's the chapter! Sorry it's been awhile guy i've been so busy!**

**Anyways, I hope you guys enjoyed this one! Again I recommend you guys should read my other stories too! Just sayin'... bye!**

**~Vikki3775 **


	5. Ch 5: Dreams, Desserts, and discussions

**This is the next chapter! Enjoy!**

**~Vikki3775**

* * *

"Ok, we're here" she said as she opened the front door and walked in; a distraught Finn Hudson close behind. Rachel turned towards him.

"W-Would you like anything Finn? Food, water.." He shook his head, and smiled softly.

"No, I'm fine Rachel, thanks."

She nodded, looked around the small confines of her apartment and let out a breath. "Alright… well we could sit and just relax. Would you like that?" After a silent nod was given as a response, they both made their way towards the cheap piece of furniture. After they were both situated, the brunette couldn't help but turn towards his way and give him a questioning glance.

"F-Finn I don't quite understand." She swallowed hard. "W-What happened back there?"

Finns jaw locked in place as he tightened his fists once again at his sides. Rachel noticed and reached out towards his hands and softly unclenched them. "Finn?" He sighed and looked towards her.

" I just…I wasn't feeling well, and being in that club brought back memories that I didn't want to resurface." He gulped and closed his eyes for a moment before opening them. "Can we…can we just not talk about it now? Please?" He pleaded softly, looking into her brown orbs. Not wanting to press anything further, she nodded and smiled softly.

"Okay." She got up off the couch and reached a hand out towards the confused boy, who eventually grabbed it and stood up as well. She smiled as she looked up at him.

"Now, do you remember what you told me at the diner earlier today?" Finn frowned and shook his head. "Well you said that if all else fails with going to the club, we'll watch a movie or something!" She said excitedly as Finns smile spread suddenly in recognition of the comment he made at dinner.

"Sure Rach. What do you want to do?" A gleam sparkled in her eyes as she beamed back at him.

"Well, I was thinking we could have a "_movie/snack marathon_!" I could teach you how to make my famous banana bread and vegan cookies while I can introduce you to some of my favorite movies like Funny girl, Wicked, Breakfast at Tiffany's-"

"Okay, okay we can do that." Finn chuckled at the brunettes excitement as she basically dragged him towards the kitchen. The last real thought that went through his head while he took ingredients out of her fridge was how Rachel knew exactly how to distract someone from their troubles.

* * *

"Can I eat them now?"

"No Finn you can't. They have to cool."

"But they smell _SO_ good!"

"I know you want to eat some Finn but you have to wait awhile." The brunette giggled as she watched an adorable pout form on his face.

"Come on. Let's sit down." She says as she lead a reluctant Finn towards her couch for the third time that night. She was pretty sure that it was one o'clock in the morning, but that didn't stop them from having a good time. They watched Wicked, made the banana bread and cookies, put them in the oven and started watching Grease while the desserts were baking. Unfortunately, under many failed attempts, Rachel tried to distract Finn from the desserts that were wafting from the kitchen by handing him popcorn and sodas. It only took fifteen minutes until both snacks were finished and he was making his way towards the kitchen again.

"Ok." He says, sighing. "How about we play a game?"

Rachel raised her eyebrows at his sudden proposition. "A game?" Finn nodded and smiled.

"Yeah! We can play '_Would you rather_?' Are you in?"

"Yeah! I'm all for that game. Bring it on Hudson!" The brunette answered as she straightened up in her seat and rubbed her hands together eagerly. The boy laughed at the nickname.

"Alright I'll start." He cleared his throat. "Would you rather… die from hunger, or die from exhaustion?"

"Hmmmm." She hummed as she contemplated her answer. "Well if you think about it, dying from exhaustion would be kind of hard since it would be a real challenge to keep your eyes open, and dying of hunger would be hard too but not as difficult as exhaustion. Though both deaths are bad, I would choose dying of hunger because… what?" She asked suddenly when she saw the apparent look on his face during her exclamation.

He blinked. "I've never seen a person so serious about answering a question before." He grinned. "You're cool Rachel."

Heat rose upon the brunette cheeks as she looked down at her lap and muttered a quiet 'thanks' in return. When she looked back up, she saw something in his beautiful amber eyes that surprised her. He was looking at her softer now, with an expression that looked a lot like trust. If this is what friendship was like, she never wants to let him go.

She cleared her throat. "Okay my turn... would you rather have music forever, or coffee forever?"

"Definitely music." He said immediately without a second thought. "Number one, I hate coffee. I mean, how do adults drink that?!" Rachel giggled. "Number two, I love music. Free music forever would be so awesome." A sad expression crossed his face as he suddenly looked down in his lap.

"You know I always wanted to pursue a major in music?" He added softly. "It's a passion of mine. I'd love to teach people how to play the drums one day." He looked back up at her.

"Y-You play the drums?" She stammered. Finn nodded as a small smile formed. He then sighed dejectedly and slumped his shoulders.

"I don't think it's gonna happen though." He stared into space. "I don't even have a degree."

"Finn." He looked at her.

"You and I both know you'll be an amazing music teacher one day. You know what I saw yesterday?"

He frowned. "What?"

"I saw a six foot three man helping a scared little boy who was looking for his mommy. He played games with him, joked around with him and made him feel safe, until he reunited with his mother again." She exclaimed as she beamed brightly. "Finn you are an incredible leader. What I saw alone that day proved it. And college? You'll get there. And I'll be right by your side when it happens." By the time she was finished, her breath caught in her throat when she saw tears formed in his amber eyes.

"Y-You know that no one other than you believes in me like that?" He breathed out. "Not even Puck and we've been best buds for a long time. He smiled "Just…thank you." He said as he pulled her into a bone crushing hug. Rachel sighed in contentment and confusion at his statement. She was flattered that he trusted her enough to share that dream with her but at the same time she felt bad. Not even his mom supported his dreams? She didn't know everything, but she hoped that one day, they would get close enough so that she can learn more about him; about _his_ struggles.

When they reluctantly pulled apart, Finn reached over and did something that the brunette didn't expect. He kissed her cheek softly for a longer time than necessary. He pulled back and cleared his throat abruptly.

"Well um…we should continue the movie, shall we?"

* * *

"Oh my gosh! That was the most delicious dessert I have ever tasted!" The people greeter groaned as he rubbed his now full stomach. Rachel laughed as she started picking up the plates from the coffee table. He stopped her in her tracks by gently grabbing her hand.

"Hey. I can clean the dishes for you. You made the best dessert ever and you're like the best company." He offered softly; still holding her hand. Rachel's heart fluttered at many things during that moment. The soft look in his eyes, his smile, that fact that he was acting so chivalrous and the feeling of his hand around hers.

"I-It's fine." She gulped. "Really, I can do it." He shook his head and stood up.

"How about this." He says looking down at her. "We can do it together." All the brunette was able to do was nod, since she was still focused on the fact that his hand was grasped in hers. They walked towards the kitchen together, hand- in hand.

* * *

"Dude, you got some didn't you? You used the good ol' Puckerman char-"

"No Puck! I told you! I left early." He scoffed.

"Yeah, with a chick." Finn sighed. "Face it Huddy. You took a goodie home with you last night." They entered the store and made their way towards the staff room.

What Finn really didn't want to admit was the fact that he did spend the rest of the night with a girl; just not the way that Puck thinks.

_**Rachel**.__  
_  
The five foot three female that always seemed to worm her way into his mind. She was different; good different. She wasn't like those stuck up girls that obsess over getting laid or making sure that their makeup is always in tact. Plus, during the past few days, she's been so trustworthy and kind. He'd expected her to laugh at his face or call him "capital G gay" when he told her about his dreams about being a music teacher, but she actually supported his dreams. That's what made him misty eyed on Friday, because no one has ever been supportive of him. Even when they met up yesterday morning at her favorite vegan café, he knew he could trust her with anything; something he actually told her.

_"I was also thinking about selling music, records, instruments, and souvenirs in my store that I can-"_

_"Finn I have a question." She interrupted as she tentatively sipped at her soy latte._

"_Shoot."_

_"H-How come you're telling me all of this? I mean, you've just met me about a week ago and you're telling me things that are real personal about you. Why?"_

_A short moment of silence fell upon them as Finn contemplated his response. When he found a good enough answer, he cleared his throat and looked deep into her big brown orbs._

_"Can I be honest with you Rach?" She frowned but nodded anyways. "When I first saw you at the store, you looked so lost; like you were unsure if this was the place where you should be. It made me think about myself when I started working at Walmart. Scared, nervous, desolate, but slightly optimistic. It was like I could read you like a book." He exclaimed as his voice slightly drifted off. "Something just told me that I could trust you." He swallowed hard. "That I could relate to you somehow." Finn looked down at the table and tried his best to hide the blush rising in his cheeks. "I don't know…it was just silly. I'm sorry for sharing too much." Suddenly, a sound of a sniffle caused him pull his head up and look at Rachel, who was dabbing at her eyes with a napkin as she sucked in a deep breath. He felt guilty._

_"Rachel I'm sorry! I didn't-"_

_"No." She shook her head. And smiled. "That has to be the most sweetest thing anyone has ever said to me. You're someone special Finn Hudson." He grinned and gave a sigh of relief at her answ-_

"Yo, Huddy! You present?" A male voice asked loudly. After Finn snapped out of his vivid reverie he saw Puck wave his hands in front of his face in order to get his attention.

"Yeah,yeah I'm here. Sorry." The mow-hawked friend smirked.

"You were thinking about that booty last night weren't ya? It's alright man. Just don't forget to clock in." He reminded as he left the empty room. Finn sighed. This petite brunette was going to be the death of him.

* * *

**Well there ya go! This took so long! I'm glad I finished it!**

**Don't forget to read and review if you get the chance! Thanks! Bye!**

**~Vikki3775 3**


	6. 6: Thanksgving Blues and Surprises

**Sup guys! How's it going?  
I'm so glad it's spring break! Anyways, enjoy this next chapter!**

**~Vikki3775**

* * *

"So what are you guys doing for thanksgiving?" Will said, looking around the staff table.

"Well I'm going to visit my dad in Lima. He's got a girlfriend, so I'll get to finally meet her!" Kurt exclaimed excitedly; eating some of his salad.

"I'm going to New Haven to visit my mom." Quinn said.

"I'm going to Brooklyn." Artie said, shrugging.

"I'm going to Kentucky." The new mechanic, Sam says. He was just hired recently since their former mechanic, Ken Tanaka had a nervous breakdown. Rachel giggled when she remembered the conversation she had with Finn where he said that Ken did a "Britney Spears."

_"Think about it Rach!" Finn laughed as he watched her roll on the floor, laughing hysterically. "He lost his fiancé, gained some weight, and stopped showering! Everyone acted like it was fine but in reality, it was just sad." He says, still laughing.  
_  
"Rachel?"

The giggling brunette stopped her reverie and looked around the table; seeing amused and confused expressions on the faces of her co-workers. She's looked at Will.

"You were laughing. Are you ok?"

"Yeah." She nodded. "I was just laughing at something I remembered my dad telling me earlier today." She lied.

"Oh." He raised his eyebrows in interest. "So you're going to visit your dads for thanksgiving?" She nodded excitedly.

"Yes! They're going on the "Rosie O'Donnell cruise, though so I'll only get to spend one day with them before they leave for their trip." The manager nodded.

"Ok that sounds fun Rachel." He smiled as he turned towards the freckled giant adjacent to her left. "Finn? What are you doing for the holidays?"

"Oh, um..." He gulped; something that didn't go unnoticed by the customer service employee. "I'm just gonna stay home you know…do extra shifts." He nodded to reassure himself. "I mean, Walmart's only closed on Christmas. Plus, this gives thieves the opportunity to steal and I have to make sure that doesn't happen." Will nodded slowly in understanding; a concerned look on his face that he tried to mask. Finn smiled slightly and looked down at his food.

She could tell that he knew she was staring at him, but she was concerned. Thanksgiving is supposed to be a holiday spent with your family members to reflect on what you're thankful for; something in which includes each other. The fact that Finn wasn't even going home to visit, concerned her deeply. For the rest of her day, she tried her best to push her concerns for her friend behind by working, but it always seemed to worm it's way back into her mind as soon as she finished helping a customer.

Then she looked at him. She watched on in surprise as he went on with his day; smiling at customers, giving fake directions and helping assist lost children who are looking for their parents. She knew that he wasn't feigning happiness since he didn't have that smile/grimace on his face that she saw when she walked into the superstore for the first time. Though he appeared to be fine, she did notice the sad look that passed his eyes when the children he helped reconnected with their parents again. That was the thing that questioned her the most.

"Hey, Rach." Finn said, walking in and smiling at her. "We have another child who got lost. Here's Tommy." He exclaimed, moving aside to reveal a little boy that looked around the age of six. Her heart sank instantly at the frightened look in his tear filled eyes as he looked around the room unsurely.

"Hi there." She said softly, gaining his attention. "You lost your mommy?" He nodded his small brown head. She smiled at him and looked up at a clearly sympathetic Finn who smiled softly at the boy.

"Ok, I'll make the announcement now." She said; grabbing the store microphone.

"The guardians of Tommy Harrison please make your way to the customer service center, I repeat, the guardians of Tommy Harrison, please make your way to the customer service center." When she finished speaking through the phone, she turned towards the child and her best friend and smiled.

"Thanks Rach." He said, starting to turn away. Suddenly, something on one of the carts caught her eye and she said, "Wait!" Grabbing the small blue Lego box, she walked swiftly towards the boy an crouched down to reach his level.

"Hey, I've got something for you." Rachel revealed the toy from behind her back; smiling when the boy's eyes widened in interest.

"You can have these Legos. We have so many that they're about to be discontinued in the store. Here you go." She said, handing it to him. Both adults watched as a smile spread on his tear streaked face; instantly brightening the brunettes day. His small hand grabbed the toy from her hands as he whispered a soft "thank you."

"You're welco-"

"Oh my gosh! Tommy baby!" A female voice cried. Both employees turned around and saw a clearly stressed mother who immediately grabbed the little boy into a hug. She had light brown hair which was short, but slightly disheveled and had a relieved expression on her face.

"Thank god you're okay." She murmured, peppering kisses across the boy's face.

"Mama I'm fine." He whined once they pulled away. He turned towards both Rachel and Finn, beaming.

"This man and woman helped me. This man was the funniest, while this lady was so kind. And… she gave me this Lego set!" He exclaimed jumping up and down. That's when the woman noticed the two adults in the room. She stood up and smiled gratefully.

"Thank you so much. I thought that I wouldn't find him." She reached into her purse. "How much are the Legos?"

"No." Rachel shook her head and smiled. "It's free. Don't worry about it." Still looking unsure, she nodded and looked down at her son.

"Ok, honey, lets go. Say thank you to…"

"...Finn and Rachel." The brunette finished, smiling. The boy walked up to them and hugged her first; surprising her.

"Thank you Ma'am!" He said looking up.

"You're welcome sweetie." Rachel gushed. The boy turned towards Finn who was staring into space, distraught.

"Thank you Mister!" He says; snapping the adult out of it. He smiled, high-fiving him.

"You're welcome buddy, anytime." The boy turned towards his mom.

"Thank you again." She smiled as she grabbed her son's hand and made her way towards the exit.

"Bye!" The boy says happily, leaving. Rachel smiled and sighed in happiness before turning towards a still distraught Finn. He looked distracted; sadness covering his face as he looked down at the floor. Concern washed over her.

"Finn? You ok?" Looking up at her, Finn smiled sadly and nodded. She grabbed her keys and walked towards the exit of the room, Finn following. After locking the door, she turned towards him and smiled.

"Let's go and get some coffee and talk, shall we?"

* * *

"...So the good news is that Matt didn't break his arm-"

"Finn, how come you're not going home for thanksgiving?"

Finn stopped speaking, eyes wide before chuckling nervously and running a hand through his untamed hair. "Wow. When you want to know something, you get right to the point, huh?"

Rachel smiled sheepishly. "Kinda." Finn smiled softly.

"Look, Rachel I told you why I'm not going home. I said-"

"That you were gonna do extra shifts in case a burglar comes to the store." She finishes. "But guess what Finn? Burglars spend time with their families too."

"Rach I know that, but-"

"But what? Don't you have someone to spend the holidays with, I mean-"

"I just don't want to Rachel!" He exclaimed loudly. Noticing his tone, and the brunettes face, his expression softened and he sighed.

"I'm sorry for yelling at you. It's just that… I don't really have a good relationship with my family right now." Rachel's eyes widened in surprise.

"Oh. Well that explains it." She stated simply. "W-When was the last time you visited or even talked to them?"

"Threeyears." He mumbled quietly, looking down at his iced tea. She furrowed her eyebrows in confusion. "I'm sorry, what?"

"Three years Rachel." He admitted; looking back up at her. He watched as his best friend opened and closed her mouth in surprise. He sighed and rubbed the back of his neck.

"Look Rachel, I'm not ready to tell you everything, but I will say that I don't regret the current estrangement between my family and I."

"W-Where does your family live now?"

"We lived in Toledo, Ohio. I don't know if my m-mom moved or not, but that's where she lived when I last talked to her." Rachel noticed that when he mentioned his mom, his voice tremored.

"Finn you may not realize it, but you miss your family...wait, just hear me out." She said hurriedly when he opened his mouth to argue.

"What you said during lunch concerned me, so I kept an eye on you while working. I noticed that you were a lot more distracted today, and whenever you helped a lost child find their parents; especially boys, a look of sadness would cross your face. I tried brushing it away, but it keeps coming back to my mind, and it only confirmed my suspicions today, when you came in with that little boy whose mom found him. Based on the few weeks I've spent with you, I know a lot about you. You can try to mask the hurt you have inside, but eventually you're gonna crack, and I'd hate to see you like that when it happens." When she finished her monologue, she saw a tear escape his hazel eyes, in which she reached over and wiped away. Finn sniffled slightly and straightened himself up.

"Your right." He nodded his head. "Everyone needs family around them. A-And one of the Hudson rules that we have, is to put family first. That, and to never give up easily. M-Maybe I can track her, and try to bring back our relationship again to where we left off." Finn stated firmly. He smiled at the petite girl, stood up and walked towards her. He stretched his arms out in hopes for a hug. She giggled.

"C'mere." He said as she stood up and fell into his embrace. He kissed her head.

"How come you know what to say all of the time?" He murmured into her shoulder.

"It's a gift." She joked as they pulled apart hesitantly. "You've just got to learn the technique." She winked. Finn laughed.

* * *

"Okay, it says that she lived in Toledo, Ohio but now lives in Lima, Ohio with this address." He exclaimed, as he placed a printed price of paper on the brunettes counter. She turned around and took off her oven mitts.

She picked up the piece of paper and nodded. "Okay that's great. I'm having an early thanksgiving with my dads because of their cruise, so I'll just tag along and help you find your mom." The freckled giant raised his eyebrows.

"Really Rach? You know you don't have to do that ri-"

"I know that, but I want to. And don't try to convince me otherwise mister or I'll throw this lasagna right into the garbage before your very eyes." Finn feigned fear.

"You wouldn't." She smirked and nodded. "I would. You're just lucky because I'm desperately hungry." He laughed.

"Plus, Kurt's visiting his dad there, so we'll get to see him too!" She jumped up and down excitedly, before turning towards the oven when the timer rang.

"Yeah, it will be so much fun to watch Kurt criticize my whole wardrobe of clothing." He said sarcastically as Rachel gently placed the Italian dinner on the countertop. Finn licked his lips; reaching for the pan only for it to be slapped away.

"Hey! Let this cool first, then you can have it."

"Why not now?!" He whined, crossing his arms. She giggled.

"Because I don't want you to get hurt. It's really hot."

"Fine." He huffed. Suddenly his face softened. "You're like the best friend I've ever had, you know that?"

"Well I hope so. You told me that three times today already." She joked; blushing. He smiled sheepishly.

"Yeah, well it's true. Listen, I'll tell you the whole story about my family when I can. It's just…really hard to talk about you know?" She nodded.

"I completely understand Finn. Take as much time as you need." He smiled.

"Hey, you never told me where your childhood home was." She laughed.

"Oh, yeah my parents live in Columbus Ohio." His eyes widened.

"Wait, really? I thought they lived in New York." She shook her head.

"Nope. That's why I was so surprised when you said that you lived in Toledo." She smiled.

"That's cool. I'm just surprised that we've never met each other before." He said, discretely moving his hand slowly towards the dinner.

"Yeah that's weird." She thought out loud. Rachel sighed defeatedly but smiled. "Fine you can eat the lasagna now."

"Yes!" He said, walking swiftly towards the cupboard to grab a plate, after giving the brunette a side hug.

* * *

"S-So how was the dinner with your dads." She smiled at his genuine curiosity.

"It was wonderful. We ate some wonderful tofurkey, and had hot apple sider and apple pie for dessert while watching 'Fiddler on the Roof' in our family room."

"T-That's great to hear." He said; his voice in a higher pitch. She smirked.

"Finn are you ok? You're shaking and I'm pretty sure your voice went up an octave higher." He sighed.

"I'm just nervous." She frowned.

"What for?"

"Rachel I haven't seen my family in three years. You wouldn't understand the full story, because I haven't told you yet, but it was serious. I just don't want to be rejected again." He said the last word quietly, but not quiet enough for the brunette to not hear. She pulled into the addressed house and turned off the car.

"Are you sure you want to do this Finn?" He looked at her and nodded silently.

"Ok." They hopped out of the car and walked alongside each other until they made their way to the front door. She looked at him.

"Would you like to do the honors?" He nodded before knocking firmly against the door.

* * *

"Kurt can you get that for me? That must be your grandma."

"Sure." He said as he walked towards the door and opened it. He closed his eyes and smiled widely; preparing for the excited shrieks of his grandmother. What he didn't expect though, was a surprised shriek from his new found best friend.

"Kurt?!"

He opened his eyes and saw both Finn and Rachel standing across from them; eyes wide; jaws dangling.

"Finn? Rachel?"

* * *

**Yep, I left ya with a cliffhanger! I'm just that mean!**

**A/N: The scene with the lost little boy actually happened to me in Walmart when I was like, five. Though a people greeter didn't find me, a customer did because I was crying so loud!**

**Anywho, I hoped you enjoyed it! Review, favorite, and follow please! Bye!**

**~Vikki3775**


	7. Storm Outs and Emotions

**Why hello my friends! How's life going for everyone? Life is fine right now for me. I'm just preparing for the impending finals that I have. *sigh*. Anyways, I need your help.**

**See, I'm trying to find a great writer's camp for the summer, but I can't find one. If you guys have one in mind, let me know. If not, don't worry about it.**

**Well putting that aside, here's a new chapter of Save Money, Live better!**

**~Vikki3775**

* * *

_He closed his eyes and smiled widely; preparing for the excited shrieks of his grandmother. What he didn't expect though, was a surprised shriek from his new found best friend._

"Kurt?!"

He opened his eyes and saw both Finn and Rachel standing across from them; eyes wide; jaws dangling.

"Finn? Rachel?"

* * *

"Kurt? Who is that?" A man said from behind the door.

"N-No one dad."

"Really? Because I heard someone's voice." As his voice got louder, Kurt's face became panicked as he watched his two co-workers and close friends stand outside the door of his dad's house.

He didn't know how this happened. One minute he's talking to his dad about his new diet, and the next, he's staring face-to-face with Finn and Rachel.

* * *

"_I'm here!" He called as he opened the door and dropped his heavy Louis Vuitton suitcase._

"_Hey Kurt." Burt said happily as he walked over and grabbed him into a hug, then ruffling his hair._

"_Dad! I told you, this hairstyle takes hours to complete. I do not appreciate you messing with it!" He huffed; crossing his arms. _

"_That's the son I missed." He laughed stepping back. The highly fashioned son looked around._

"_Where's Ca-"_

"_Oh she's in the kitchen making your favorite kind of cookies." He sighed, looking down at the floor. "She's uh… she's a little upset right now about, you know." He exclaimed shortly, getting a concerned look and a nod from Kurt._

"_Well, I'm gonna go talk to her." He said._

_As he walked towards the kitchen, he could hear the light melodic humming of his possible step mom and the chocolate cookies that were wafting from the heated oven. _

"_Hey Carole." He says in order to catch her attention. She turns around; alarmed before smiling wide and grabbing him into a bone crushing hug._

_Huh. He just realized something. Her hugs are very warm and comforting; comforting like Finn's. Thinking nothing of it, he pushed the thought aside and reciprocated the hug. After a moment, they pulled apart. _

"_I was so excited when Burt told me that I would meet the famous Kurt for Thanksgiving! You know, Burt talks about you so much!" She gushed as she smiled._

"_Well, he talks a lot about you too. I was so excited to meet you this weekend, that I actually thought of scheduling a shopping spree that we could have, because face it honey, my father over here tries, but from what I can see, he doesn't know silk from chic." He remarked as he pointed towards her red turkey sweater. Amused and slightly taken aback, the woman smiled warmly and looked down at her shirt._

"_Well, I think it's absolutely adorable. Your grandmother made this for me actually."_

"_Exactly what i'm talking about. Why do you think there's a fireplace in this house?" She forced out a laugh and smiled before sighing. Concerned, Kurt touched her arm gently; already knowing what's wrong._

"_Carole? What's wrong?" She looked back up at him._

"_Well-" She turned around and opened the oven door; taking out the cookies and placing them on the counter." I'm just feeling upset I guess. See, Thanksgiving is supposed to be a holiday celebrated with your familly and, well my s-son isn't with me to share our traditions. W-We usually sit down, talk, have dinner, and then drink hot apple cider while watching "It's the Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown," but h-he's not here." _

_"Well, where is he Carole?"_

_She shook her head. "I-I don't know. We got into a serious argument three years ago where I kicked him out and we haven't talked since." She exclaimed; her voice cracking. Kurt rubbed her back comfortingly._

_"Well, have you tried figuring out where he is? I mean-" A ring from the front door interrupted his question. _

_"Kurt, can you get that for me? It must be your grandma." Burt called from the living room. _

_Sure." He said as he walked towards the door and opened it. He closed his eyes and smiled widely; preparing for the excited shrieks of his grandmother. What he didn't expect though, was a surprised shriek from his new found best friend._

_"Kurt?!"_

_He opened his eyes and saw both Finn and Rachel standing across from them; eyes wide; jaws dangling._

_"Finn? Rachel?"_

* * *

"Oh. Why hello there!" Burt greeted, snapping Kurt out of his flashback.

"H-Hi. Um…we were in town and we're kind of searching for someone. Do you happen to know a Carole Hummel?" Rachel asked nervously; wringing her hands together. The bald headed man raised his eyebrows and adjusted his baseball cap.

"Um…yeah I do-"

"Burt, honey who is that at the door? I heard my na…" the woman's voice drifted off as she stood a few feet across from the people at the front door. She gasped; dropping her glass of apple cider on the ground and shattering the glass everywhere. She covered her mouth with her hands and choked out, "Finn?"

"Wait a second. How do you two know each other?" Kurt piped in; gesturing towards the two similar looking adults.

"I think there needs to be some explaining to do." Burt said, giving Kurt a pointed look.

"Yeah." Rachel agreed.

* * *

"Okay." Burt sighed and sat down on the couch; looking around at the people in the family room. "I'm gonna start speaking first, because I can only handle a small amount of tenseness at a time. Who are you two?" He pointed at the brunette and the freckled giant.

"Oh." Rachel straightened up, smiled and reached her hand out in greeting. "My name's Rachel Berry and this is-"

"Finn." Carole finished, softly. All heads turned towards her as she finally looked up and made eye contact with her estranged son.

"What are you doing here?" She finally says. She watched as he gulped, rubbing the back of his neck.

"I-"

"DO YOU KNOW HOW WORRIED I WAS?!" She yelled, standing up. Finn cringed.

"Mo-"

"No! Don't call me that!"

"Wait, wait, wait a second." Burt intervened. "Carole honey you should calm down." She scoffed. "Kurt and I still don't know what's going on. How do you know this guy?" He asked questioned as he pointed at the boy seated in the couch across from them.

"Because." Finn said as his eyes filled with tears. "I-I'm her son." He whispered; never breaking contact with the woman standing across from him.

"Wait, WHAT?!" Kurt yelled, standing up also. Then it dawned on him. The familiar hugs, the broken looks, the lame excuse that Finn gave at lunch last week, and Carole stating that she missed her son. It was all so clear now.

"I think he meant what he said Kurt." His dad said exasperatedly. Kurt turned towards Finn.

"Finn, how come you didn't tell me this?"

"Because I didn't know either! I didn't know your dad was dating my mom!"

"And Rachel not to be rude, but what are you doing here? I thought you were going to see your dads." She nodded.

"I did. They live in Columbus so I decided to help Finn find his mom." The petite girl said meekly.

"Mom?" Finn asked softly, looking at her distraught expression.

"I-I-I just need to process this for a second." She looked at him. "H-How do you know Kurt?" She asked with a monotone voice.

"I w-work with him. And Rachel too, actually." She nodded silently.

No one spoke for a few minutes, until Carole spoke up again.

"Finn…w-where were you all of these years?" She wearily asked.

"I was in New York City." He snapped. "You would know that if you let me speak, but of course you just had to yell at me before I could." She cringed slightly at his tone.

"Honey, I-"

"You know what?" Finn stood up. "I don't have time for this. I came here so that we could talk; not argue. My friend Rachel over here-" he pointed at the brunette seated behind him. "-came with me in order to help me find you and we're tired, so if you'll excuse us." And with that he walked away from the shocked group, slamming the front door shut.

"I-I'm so sorry." A shocked Rachel apologized. "Um…I'll be right back." After leaving the small confines of the house, she walks up to a pacing Finn, who looks absolutely furious.

"Finn."

"How could she get angry with me? I came all the way over here and found her; something she didn't do." He mumbled to himself.

Rachel tried again. "Finn." Finally, he turned around and looked at her. His face softened.

"Rach, I'm so sorry you had to deal with this. H-Had I known-"

"Finn do me a favor?"

"Yeah?"

"Shut up." She said simply. When he relented, she continued.

"Finn, you need to get back in there and apologize."

"But,-"

"No buts. We came all this way for you guys to reunite and you should know me enough to know that I'm extremely stubborn."

"Of course I know that."

"Then you should know that I won't leave this house until you go back in there and apologize." She walked up to him and grabbed both of his hands.

"Finn, you need your mom. When I was in a rough spot before I found my job at Walmart, I leant on my dads for support. You for one,, didn't, and you can't bring those three years back. But what you can do, is go back in there and set things straight with your mom. Do you remember what you told me last week? What was one of your rules? Hudson's-"

"Never giver give up that easily-" he finished; smirking slightly. She smiled proudly.

"Exactly. So get your butt in there and solve things with your mom!" She teased loudly. Laughing, he nodded.

"Okay, but I want a hug first," he says, already pulling her into his arms and lifting her up slightly.

"I swear you should write a book or something." He mumbled. Rachel giggled as they pulled apart.

"If this whole customer service thing doesn't work out, I may consider that idea." The freckled people greeter laughed as he started walking back towards the house.

* * *

"I-I feel so bad." Carole whispered as she remained seated on the couch. "I shouldn't have yelled at him like that."

"Of course that may not have been the best idea, but you were upset." Burt said rubbing her back comfortingly. "You know, you've just got to take your relationship one step at a time."

"Hey, guys! They didn't leave yet. Rachel and Finn are talking outside." Standing up from the couch, both parents walked over to where Kurt was standing and looked discretely out the same window together.

"See, it looks like that Rachel girl is trying to talk him into coming back in." Burt piped in. All three of them watched as they talked seriously for awhile, before they started smiling and Finn lifted her up in his arms in a thankful hug.

"You, know they're best friends, right? It sometimes seems like she can't live without him and he can't either. They balance each other out." Kurt said. At this, Carole looked at him.

"Oh, really?" A hint of a smile spread on her face. She may have been out of his life for three years, but she knows her son enough to know the look he has when he's in love. She watched in middle school, high school, and even elementary, when he used to have the same look of adoration across his face. So of course she was surprised when they pulled back from their hug and he gave the brunette the same exact look.

"Oh Carole, he's coming back!" Kurt said hopefully. "They're coming back."

Once the door opened, both adults appeared and looked at the three people who were trying to act discrete, with bemused looks on their faces.

"Ok." Finn says. "Let's talk."

* * *

**Another cliffhanger you guys, yay! I know you love those!**

**I was actually bored yesterday until I found an idea, so I just typed this up on my phone. I hope you liked it!**

**Don't forget to please comment, favorite and follow! I'll see you guys next time!**

**~Vikki3775**


	8. Talks and Tribulations

**Sup people! Here's a long chapter of Save Money Live Better!**

* * *

"You want a cookie Rachel?"

"No thanks Kurt."

"Oh come on! I know you want one!" He said in a teasing tone as he waved the chocolaty goodness in front of her face.

"I'm sorry Kurt, but I'm a vegan." She smiled apologetically. "Plus, I don't feel up to eating right now." The fashionable friend turned towards her on the living room couch and gave her a small smile.

"Rachel, I know you're nervous about what's going on in the other room, but you've got to relax a little. They're talking it out, right? That's at least something. After they talk, it'll seem like the last three years between them never happened." He touched her shoulder gently. "Ok?"

"Ok." She sighed. She really only said that to appease him, since she's literally freaking out on the inside. I mean, how would you react if you heard constant yelling coming from the room next to you? Fortunately, things seemed to simmer down and the yelling stopped, but yet again, he couldn't help but still be worried. Were they making up? Are they apologizing? What are they talking about? Finn still didn't tell her the whole story of what happened between them, so she was still left with a bunch of unanswered questions.

She paced for awhile. Then she tried reading a magazine when Kurt told her that her pacing was making him nervous. And when the yelling started, she simply took out her headphones and blasted on Funny Girl's entire broadway album; humming to herself. Even though she used all of these things as a distraction, her worry about the two people behind the closed door of the guest room was still in her mind.

* * *

"Ok. Where do you want to start Finn? Would you like to speak first?"

"Oh, so now you're actually letting me speak? Wow. I must be really special." Finn said sarcastically, rolling his eyes. Carole sighed as her shoulders drooped slightly.

"Finn, I thought you wanted to talk."

"Oh I do. I'm just genuinely surprised at how willing _YOU_ are at talking. You know, since you just _LOVE_ keeping secrets from others." He said sarcastically again; putting emphasis on the two words.

"Finn, I'm sorry I didn't contact you and I-I'm sorry that I kicked you out in the first place. It wasn't-"

"You know what mom?" He interrupted rudely; crossing his arms. "I'm actually happy you did. I wouldn't be as independent o-or as comfortable as I am now. You know, until I found out that my own mom has a boyfriend."

"You know what, just stop Finn." She snapped harshly. "I know I did and said things that I shouldn't have; that I wish I could take back, but what you did was much worse. I was only trying to help you." He scoffed loudly at this and stood up from his seat.

"Oh really? So kicking your nineteen year old son out of your house to fend for himself was a way to help me?" He asked getting louder.

"I TRUSTED YOU MOM!" I-I TRIED TO HELP YOU!" He yelled.

"Well, it wasn't the way to do it, Finn Christopher Hudson! I didn't need you to sell things, or get a job, or to even risk getting in trouble! We were perfectly fine the way we were!" She yelled back as tears filled her eyes.

"Oh really? It didn't seem like it! It didn't seem fine when you were crying and stressing over the bills, or a simple Christmas present for me! Face it, we weren't fine!" She shook her head stubbornly.

"Y-Yes-"

"And come to think of it, I actually felt bad for you. I mean, here you are doing extra shifts at the hospital, spending time with your only son, all the while lying to him at the same time. That must've been a real struggle, wasn't it?!" He laughed bitterly. Carole's tear filled eyes suddenly stretched wide as she looked up at her fuming son.

"I know what this is about." She said quietly. "I can't believe I haven't noticed it before. You're still upset about your father, aren't you?" Silence took over them for a few minutes as the people greeter refused to look at her.

"I-I don't know what you're talking about."

"Yes I do Finn!" She sobbed out loudly; standing up also. "You're still stuck up on the fact that I lied to you about how your dad died. Am I wrong?" Silence. She choked out a sob before walking slowly towards her tall son and grabbing his arm.

"Finn…honey, I'm sorry that I lied to you. You didn't deserve that and I let that lie go on for too long. I didn't know that your father had an illness. Sure, I knew he had a drug problem and he was depressed but… I-I didn't know that he had can-" she couldn't even finish her sentence before breaking down in sobs in front of her teary eyed son.

"You didn't know?" He whispered exasperatedly; refusing to reach out and comfort her. "You didn't know that your own husband; the father of your son had _Stage Four Lung Cancer_?!" He narrowed his eyes.

"No Finn, I didn't. It wasn't until I got a phone call one night from a hospital in Cincinnati; telling me that he was dead! I didn't want this for you! I didn't want this for us!"

"But why didn't you tell me the truth?!" He finally turned to look at her in the eyes; his own filled with hurt and overflowing tears. "Why did it take you until I was a sophomore in high school to tell me the truth about how my own father died?! I didn't need to be told a lie about how he died sacrificing his life for our nation! I wanted the truth!" He choked out as tears ran down his face.

"Sweetie..." She said softly, grabbing his hands. "I lied to you, because I didn't want the way that your dad died to define your life, and your choices. And when I told you? Yes, it was a weight off of my shoulders, but look at what happened. You started stealing, taking drugs, lying. It wasn't until your Aunt Sally found a thousand dollars missing, that I sent you off." She sniffled as she calmed down. "That was all a reaction to me telling you that your father was a drug addict and died of cancer when you were a baby." Finn shook his head as tears continued to rush down his face.

"No." He whispered. "No you still don't get it. I didn't do those things because I simply liked it, o-or because my dad died. Yes, I may have been upset at you, but I was upset because you lied to me! And I didn't just steal things for no reason. We were broke mom." She shook her head stubbornly. "Just admit it."

"N-No we weren't Fi-"

"YES WE WERE!" He yelled; kicking over a nearby chair. The emotionally strained mother stepped back; aware of what her son does when he gets over emotional.

"Mom you may not know this, but I noticed things. Don't you think I've noticed the yellow slips we got constantly; stating that we haven't payed the bills yet?! You don't think I've heard you talk on the phone with your dear friends and family members; asking for money?! I knew how stressed you were about it, and I watched year after year as you scraped by. So don't you dare say that I acted that way because of my damn dead beat father!" He sobbed out; kicking the chair on the floor again.

"Baby…" Carole whispered once she thought he calmed down. She walked towards him and opened her arms for a hug. He simply stepped back.

"I-I-I just need to be alone right now, ok? I-I'll be back for dinner." He turned around and closed the door silently.

And with that, Carole broke down.

* * *

Burt, Kurt, and Rachel all stood up at the sound of the guest room door opening. They expected both adults to leave the room together with content smiles on their faces. But what they didn't expect was a haggard looking Finn who walked out alone, not smiling, and making his way towards the front door. Rachel gasped.

"Finn." She rushed up to him. "Are you ok? What happened?"

Finn turned towards her and shook his head. "I just…I just need to be alone right now; just for awhile, ok?" When she nodded, he leaned down to hug her, before kissing her forehead softly and leaving the house completely. Rushing towards the guest room, the brunette found the mother crying; looking up at her. She cleared her throat.

"I think…" she sniffled "I need to tell you what happened between Finn and I." She said as she patted the seat next to her on the guest room bed.

* * *

"It's all my fault." She whispered. "I should've just told him the truth. I-"

"Mrs. Hummel it wasn't your fault." Rachel interrupted; rubbing her back. "Any mother would take your motives as something an exemplary person would do. You were just trying to protect your son."

"I wasn't trying to lie to him just because I wanted to. Imagine if I told him the truth when he was much younger? He would live his life thinking that his dad was a loser and would think that's acceptable for him too. I didn't want him to use the way his dad lived his life as an excuse to make bad life choices, you know?" The brunette nodded in complete understanding.

"And now…he hates me."

"See, that's where I draw the line Mrs. Hummel. He loves you so much!" She grabbed the mother's hands and looked deep in her green eyes.

"Do you know that the job he has requires him to help tend to lost children in the store who are looking for their parents? All last week he stared off into space with a sad distraught expression; thinking hard. And when I confronted him about it, he said that those children who soon reunited with their parents again reminded him of the two of you. He said that he missed you a lot, but was afraid of being rejected again. Now, can you tell me about that?" Carole sighed.

"Well, about a month after kicking him out, he came back home, slightly drunk and very emotional." She closed her eyes a second as she took a shuddering breath. "I-I've never seen him that way before and I was scared. So I told him to leave immediately before I call the cops. H-He started crying a-and yelling out things that I couldn't understand, like "abandoned" and "given up." I just…" she broke down into sobs again and on autopilot, Rachel reached out and hugged her as she cried.

"Shhh. It's ok. Things will get better." She murmured soothingly. "Now do you know where your son might be?" Nodding slightly, she grabbed a nearby pen and paper and wrote it down.

"This is where he usually hangs out to think." She said. "That, and the bowling alley, but I don't think he'll be there this time." She nodded and smiled softly in thanks.

"Ok."

* * *

_"Honey, I have to tell you something."_

_"Sure, what's up ma?" A young Finn asked as he sat down across an anxious Carole._

_"Um…well..." She gulped and looked down at the dinner table. "Your guidance counsellor, Mrs. Pillsbury called. She said that you were thinking of joining the a-army. Is that true honey?" She asked quietly, looking at him._

_Finn sighed. "I was thinking about it, so I told her that it was meant to be PRIVATE." He muttered, mentally cursing himself for telling the petite ginger his possible future plans._

_"Well, I'm glad she did. Finn, I don't want you to be in the army." Her son's eyes widened._

_"Mom, you do realize that it's my decision, right? You can't tell me what I can and can not do when it comes to this."_

_"But honey, you're so young. Will you at least tell me why you want to do this?"_

_"I want to make my dad proud." He said simply, grinning. "-I want to make something good of myself. Defending our country; walking into my father's footsteps is an honor."_

_"I knew this was about him." She whispered._

_"What?" Finn frowned._

_"Sweetie, I have to tell you something; something I should've told you a long time ago, ok?" Getting a slow, hesitant nod, she continued. "Your father was an honorable man. The kindest and the funniest around." Both of them shared a small smile. "He was determined just like you and had the same goofy sense of humor you have." Tears filled her eyes. "B-But... Baby, he didn't die fighting in Desert Storm. H-He had a drug problem, w-which started after he was dishonorably discharged from the army." Things were silent as the mom took in her sixteen year old son's unreadable expression._

_"He was also battling depression at the time. He would come home, a-and then leave sometimes for a few days before coming back again. I-It wasn't until one day that we had and argument a-and I kicked him out of the house. Next thing I know a w-week later, I get a call from Cincinnati's regional hospital; telling me t-that he was dead…due to stage four lung cancer." She heard her son suck in a breath as he frowned; tears filling his eyes._

_"I-I knew he had issues with drugs, cigarettes, tobacco, b-but I didn't know he had cancer; he didn't know!" She sobbed out. "Honey, I am so sorry that I kept this from you, I just-" she didn't even get to finish her apology because her son had already left the house with a slam of the front door._

_That was three years ago...when he was young...when he still had hope. To be given all of that information, only to have your dreams shattered that instantly was heartbreaking. Finn remembers staying at his uncle David's house for a month; ignoring his mom in the best ways that he could._

_He cried, yes. Sobbed even. But, those terrible four weeks of despair taught him something._

_**He could never be like his father.  
**_  
_After returning home and apologizing to his weary mother for leaving suddenly without telling her where he was, he set out for a quest: a quest to giving the Hudson's old life back._

_It was hard to say the least. He always thought that there was a piece missing in the Hudson family ever since his dad died, but now? He can't even stand to look at a picture of him._

_One thing he could bring back though is their family's financial stability. Of course they got money from his dad's life insurance, but it's not enough funds though since he died at a young age. Though they lived in a small, quaint home, it was still a struggle to pay the mortgage. With that, and other necessities, came the responsibility of watching over the house and making sure things were settled…financially._

_So that's how he started selling things and getting a job. When that didn't work, he settled for the only alternative he could at the moment: selling drugs and stealing things._

_He was only doing it for them; for a healthy, stable lifestyle._

"Finn?"

Snapping out of his reverie, the dazed giant turned his head towards the soft, quiet, feminine sound.

"R-Rachel how did you know I was here?" She smiled softly.

"Your mom told me." Seeing him cringe slightly, her smile was replaced with a look of concern. "Finn, your mom told me what happened. A-Are you ok?" She crouched down and sat on the grass next to him as he sighed and looked out at the familiar lake before him.

"Yeah I'm good. I just needed some time by myself to think, you know?" She nodded and smiled again.

"I know exactly how you feel. When I lived in Columbus, I would visit the town's playground; the one I used to visit daily when I was a kid, and I would just sit in that same swing and stare up at the stars; collecting my thoughts." Hearing this, Finn looked over at her and gave her a small smile.

After a moment of comfortable silence, Finn asked quietly, "So you talked to her, huh?"

"Yeah." she said meekly. "She told me everything that happened between the two of you so you don't have to tell me. I-I apologize for getting in your business, though Finn. I understand if you-"

"Rachel, I became your business as soon as you walked through those Walmart doors two months ago. Don't feel ashamed. I see ourself as best friends and you've helped me out in more ways than I can imagine. Helping me find my mom; bringing me out here to talk to her, which helped a lot. So don't worry about it." He said, looking at her softly. Silent and speechless, she nodded.

After another moment of silence, the brunette said, "Finn, you know she's right, right?" Hearing this, he turned to look at her and gave an expression that said, "_which side are you on?" _

"Rachel, she lied to me. She told me that my dad died serving our country, when in reality, he was popping bottles, smoking and dying from cancer in Cincinnati."

"I know that Finn, but give her some empathy." He scoffed. "If you had a son or daughter and you wanted to protect them from almost all of the corruptions in the world; including their mother, what would you do?" Staring into space, the boy contemplated his answer before turning towards her and speaking.

"I would tell my daughter that her mother was a remarkable person and that she did everything she could to make sure she was living in a proper life style. I would also tell her that she was loved and that she should never forget that." Blushing slightly, he looked at the ground bashfully and rubbed the back of his neck. While doing this, he failed to notice a light sheet of tears fill the petite brunette's eyes.

"T-That was beautiful Finn. So you see? You would've done around the same thing that your mom did to your 'daughter'. She was only trying to protect you from the harsh realities of the world. You get what i'm saying?" Frowning slightly, he nodded.

"It still hurts though." He muttered, stubbornly.

"I know it does Finn, but now that you understand where she was coming from, you can forgive her...right?" She asked. It took awhile for the hazel eyed boy to respond, but when he did, Rachel smiled; relieved at the answer.

"Yeah" he says nodding. "I-I forgive her."

"Good."

After a while of just looking out at the small lake a few yards away, She spoke again.

"Hey Finn?"

"Yeah?"

"How come when I told you to imagine your son or daughter, you imagined your daughter right away?"

"What?" He asked, looking at her again.

"When I told you to step into your mom's shoes,you told me that you would tell your daughter great things about her mom." Chuckling softly at the reminder he simply shrugged.

"I don't know..when I thought about a child I would possible have, I thought of a daughter almost immediately. I think it's just because I would love to have a daughter one day..what?" He asked incredulously when he saw her giggling.

She shook her head. "Nothing" she says. "you just sound completely adorable. I know you'll be a wonderful daddy one day, whether you have a daughter or not." Blushing slightly again, he thanked her.

When Rachel looked back at the water ahead, he took a glance at her, and couldn't help but think of how adorable it would be if he had a little Rachel running around as a daughter. Shaking his head slightly to clear his thoughts, he cleared his throat before seeing his best friend start to shiver.

"Hey, you cold?" Shaking her head stubbornly, Rachel said no. Laughing at her small lie, he took off his jacket and draped it over her arms before rubbing her arms up and down to heat her up.

"Thank you" she whispered. He nodded.

"So are you ready to go back?" Rachel asked. Nodding and standing up, Finn extended a hand for her to take.

"Sure, let's get going."

* * *

**Hello my friends! This chapter was really long! I hoped you liked it and tell me your comments or reactions to this chapter. I'd love to hear from you! Bye! **

**~Vikki3775  
**


	9. Competition part 1

**Sup Guys, Gals! I can't believe that my review count has passed the fifty mark! Thank you guys so much for commenting on my chapters and giving me feedback. So to reward you, I have another chapter of Save money Live Better! Yay! Anyways, enjoy!**

**~Vikki3775**

* * *

"Alright, listen up guys." Will walked up to the front of the staff room, turned towards the whiteboard and wrote one single word: _Competition_.

As people quieted down and took a look at the board, Rachel shot her hand up instantly and looked her boss hopefully.

"Yes Rachel?"

"How come you put the word '_competition'_ on the board Mr. Shue?"

"I'm pretty sure he was just getting to it, Manhands." Quinn snarled quietly from the back. The brunette sunk her shoulders slightly as Finn rubbed her back comfortingly next to her. Will sighed.

"Quinn, I was just going to tell her. I didn't need you to comment."

"Whatever." She muttered. Signing again, Will ran a hand through his hair and pointed his marker towards the word on the board once again.

"Ok, well, I put this word on the board because we _have_ competition. Of course we've competed with other stores throughout the city, but a popular new store across the street may run us out of business." Gasps and murmurs of worry filled the room as he tried his best to quiet them down once again.

"You all know the fitness center, "Sylvester's Sports"?" They all nodded, and he continued. "Well, it's starting to cause an uproar in popularity and customers around the city. The owner, Sue Sylvester, already has _three of her buildings_ in the tri-state area. Now-" The curly haired boss starts walking around the mass of employee's seated before him.

"The owner of this street, Figgins, is thinking of cutting off one of the stores that he owns. If he sees that our customers are leaving to go to Sue's gym/organic food mart, we may have to close down."

"This is so unfair." Tina whispered exasperatedly.

"Damn right it's unfair!" Puck piped in from behind her."She can sell her shitloads of protein powder and jump ropes somewhere else. Not where we continue our business!" Everyone nodded along in agreement to his statement.

"I know guys, which is why-" He walked back up towards the board and looked at his staff. "-we're going to kick it up a notch."

Rachel frowned. "What do you mean?"

"You guys have been the best for the past few months and I can't thank you enough for your strong work ethic. But, as you can see, it hasn't made much of a difference. So, I decided that we can start some competition or our own."

"But how will that help us? It'll just give us extra competition that we don't need." Santana said.

"I decided that we are going to have a playful competition that will help us bring back customers. You will team up with a partner to create a new invention that we can use to make our store more popular. The team that has the best idea won't only have the idea presented to customers, but they will get a raise." Smiling at the positive response he received from his workers, Will interrupted them again.

"I will give you guys untill the end of this week to figure out an idea. Go ahead and figure out your partners." With that he left the room; no one noticing due to the excited chatter exchanged between each other.

After about two minutes, everyone was divied up. Tina was partners with Artie, Mercedes, with Kurt, Sam with Matt, and Santana with Brittany.

That left Puck, Finn, Quinn, and Rachel.

Taking this opportunity, Puck smirked cockily, ran a hand through his mohawk and strided towards the blonde beauty.

"So Quinn, I guess it's just you and me."

"Never gonna happen Puck." She said curtly; not looking at him. Realizing that she was looking to something behind her, Puck turned around, only to sadly realize that she was staring at a someone; not a something. Sighing and rolling his eyes, he turned back to facing her and waved his hands in front of Quinn's face.

"Hello? Quinn, snap the fuck out of it!"

Breaking out of her reverie, the blonde plastered an insincere smile towards the annoyed boy.

"I'm sorry Puck, but maybe you should do the project on your own? You do your best when you're not.._distracted_." Quinn emphasized the word with a pointed look. Puck blushed.

"You really think so?" She smiled genuinely this time.

"Of course. Plus, I'm gonna do the same so we'll both be doing it. I really wish you the best of luck. Bye!" Ignoring his words of protest, she walked right past him and made her way towards the the amber eyed people greeter and the overly achieving brunette.

Sighing when he realized that she fooled him once again, Puck muttered, "Shit."

* * *

"I've already got an idea of what we could do for the project! I have a notebook filled with ideas that I thought would liven up the store a little bit and be helpful-"

"Since when do you decide things for him, treasure trail?"

Both adults turned around and spotted Quinn; her arms crossed and a narcissistic smirk on her face. Ignoring the comment, Rachel put on a faulty smile.

"Why hello Quinn, I was just thinking of-"

"Finn, can I talk to you for a second?" She interrupts. Frowning, Finn says, "Quinn, Rachel was just speaking. That's kind of rude."

"No Finn, it's fine." The little diva piped in. "I'll talk to you later." Nodding hesitantly, he smiled reassuringly at her and kissed her forehead; something that did not go unnoticed by the fuming blonde.

When Rachel finally left them alone, Quinn smiled up at Finn and walked closer to him.

"So Finn, I was wondering if we could work together for this project Mr. Shue was talking about."

"But aren't you partners with Puck?" He asked, evidently confused. She shook her head.

"Nope." She smiled and walked even closer to him if that was even possible. Finn gulped.

"So, what do you say?"

"Um.." He rubbed the back of his neck anxiously. "Sure, I-I guess." Squealing, she pulled him into a hug, in which took a while for him to reciprocate. Nodding, he simply left the room; not noticing the mischievous glint in Quinn's eyes.

"Project, "Get Finn to like me" a go." She muttered.

* * *

Sighing, Rachel walked away from both Finn and Quinn as they started a conversation without her.

She hated to admit it, but it seemed to her that Quinn had some sort of grudge over her; for reasons she does not know.

Of course she added slightly snide remarks during the first week that she started here in Walmart, but ever since her and Finn came back from thanksgiving break, she's been extra, she hates to say it: _bitchy_.

Thinking about the break that they had two weeks ago brought a smile to her face again. When they came back from the lake, they were brought back in open arms by Burt, Kurt, and surprisingly; Carole. Guests from both sides of the family then arrived about an hour later and the place was packed. She watched as Finn reconnected with his cousins again; tearing up at the hugs that were shared between the family. Finn took his time and greeted her to his family, of course. Many people thought of her as his girlfriend, but they just brushed it aside. Luckily, Finn's cousin Mary was a vegan just like her, so she enjoyed a delicious thanksgiving dinner like the rest of the Hummel/ Hudson family. Then, after everyone left and the kitchen was cleaned, they all sat down in front of the tv; their mugs in their hands, and continued the once Hudson but now Hudmel tradition that now included her.

Snapping out of it, she made her way towards the bathroom; barely noticing Puck sitting on a bench in front of her; his head in his hands.

"Noah?" She frowns and walks towards him. "Are you okay?"

"Fuck off Berry."

"Fine, be that way." She huffed; crossing her arms. "But don't expect me to bake you a loaf of banana bread like I do for the rest of the staff once a week."

Hearing that, he quickly shot his head up and widened his eyes when he saw her start to walk away.

"Wait! Shit, Berry you walk fast." Finally being able to catch up to her fast pace, he grabbed her arm and turned her around.

"What?" she asked curtly. He sighed.

"Look, i'm sorry. It's just… I asked Quinn to be my partner and she mustered up an excuse to work alone, when I know she wants to work with _Finn_." The diva rose her eyebrows when Puck said her best friend's name with slight malice. Finally getting it, she smiled sympathetically.

"Puck, do you like Quinn?" He scoffed.

"More like love her. I just… I don't understand what she see's in him."

Refraining herself from explaining to him why Finn is likeable, she nodded understandingly.

"Ok, well have you found a partner yet?"

"No, I-" Suddenly, his eyes widened and a huge lit up his face. "Wait, that's it Berry! You can be my partner and you can help me win Quinn over." She frowned.

"Puck, I don't think that's a good idea."

"Well, do you have a partner?" He asked. She turned around and spotted Finn reluctantly hugging a shrieking Quinn. Sighing, she turned around and looked down at the floor "No."

"Exactly. Look-" He gently pulled her head up to meet his. "- I really want to be with Quinn, and didn't you say you love acting? So this would be a plus, plus for the both of us."

She contemplated this. Not only would this be helping put a friend, but just like Puck said, it would help her improve her acting too. Finally making her decision, she smiled and said, "Sure Noah, I'd love to be your partner."

"Yes!" He grabbed her into a tight hug and spun her around in circles. Laughing at his excitement, she let him put her back down on the floor.

"Ok, i'm gonna need your number so that we can meet up sometime this week."

"You sure you don't have feelings for me berry?" He smirked and pulled his phone ot of his pocket. "Cause if you do, I'll stop this right now." She laughed.

"No, no I do not like you in that way, Noah."

"He nodded and smirked cockily. "Okay, just making sure."

She rolled her eyes and smiled. "Whatever, Noah."

* * *

"Hey, hey, hey!" Will rushed towards the pharmacy area where Tina reported some commotion having to due with one of the customers. Thinking nothing of it, he got there, only to see the one person he can't stand.

_Sue._

And her little _"side kicks"_.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?!"

"I-" Snapped her fingers and directed a short blonde girl to the other aisles packed with protein powder and laxatives. "-am going shopping."

He raised his eyebrows. "For this much stuff?" He gestured towards the five filled shopping carts. "I mean, how many constipated athletes are you training at your little "Sue's kids" camp?"

She frowned. "I am offended at that remark, William!" She pointed at him accusingly. "Everyone here knows that i'm the biggest buyer in this store."

He scoffed. "Yeah, for your own benefit!" She stared at him blankly.

"Yes because that's what shoppers do. They shop for their own benefit. Listen up, Curly Sue." She walked up to the manager until she was so close that their noses were touching. She smirked.

"You can call the security all you want. Heck, you can even try calling the police. But what are they gonna say when they see an innocent women like me, buying some well needed items for my kids?" He took a glance at one of the girls, who had a red jersey on that said "Sues Kids" on the back.

"They'll say that you're insane for buying this much protein powder!" He gestured towards one of the five carts that were filled.

Still smirking, she says, "And I thought this place was here to help people, but Mulan over here," She pointed at a timid Tina behind the pharmacist's desk. "- hasn't done squat for us."

"T-That's because y-you already know where the p-protein powder is!" She stuttered exasperatedly from the counter.

Sue turned towards her and glared. "Did I ask you to interject in your foreign language? No I did not. Plus, are you even certified to give prescriptions? I mean-"

"Sue!" Will yelled. "Don't speak to her like that!" He looked at the now crying girl. She rose her hands up in mock defense and stepped back.

"Fine. I was about to go to the cashier anyways. But just to let you know? You better start packing up your products now, because as far as anyone else can see here, _you'll _be the store to close down, and _my_ store will be the one with the raise and the store expansion. Winking and smirking, she hollers, "See ya Buttchin." Snapping her fingers again, she yelled, "Becky! Gather up the other girls and have them bring the carts! That's enough stuff for now!"

Hearing this, the small blonde nodded, turned around and yelled, "Let's go bitches! Before I go to the preserves section and open a can of "Kick ass"!" Silently, the girls walked walked away in order; glaring slightly at the miniature version of Sue Sylvester.

When they were gone, Will sighed.

He _really_ hopes this '_competition'_ will work.

* * *

"Hey Kurt, Mercedes."

"Ugh! Oh my god!" Kurt huffed, frowning in distaste at Finn.

"What?"

"I just hate these uniforms! I swear, every time that I see those clothes, I wonder, "what in the flying fashion was Mr. Shue thinking!" Shaking his head disapprovingly, he picked up a piece of stray clothing, grabbed a hanger and started hanging it up. "So what do you want Finn?"

"Jeez, Kurt! You make it seem like he's gonna use us or something!" Mercede's chided, as she walked out of one of the fitting rooms with a pile of clothes in her hands. "Maybe he just wants to talk to us?"

He scoffed and rolled his eyes. "Yeah, and Versace is from Scotland." Finn frowned.

"Who is versathe?"

"It's Versace Finn." Kurt corrected; rolling his eyes. "I swear you guys don't know pat and leather from plaid."

Shaking his head, Finn says, "Whatever. I originally came down here to ask you guys if you know where Rachel is. Have you seen her?"

"Oh yeah. She was just here a few minutes ago, but Puck came; saying something about a project they have to do at his place? I'm guessing that they're working together on the "competition" project." Mercedes answered, as she walked inside another fitting room; coming out with more clothes seconds later.

Finn's jaw tightened and he frowned. "They- They're _partners?" _The term sounded so foreign to his lips. Noticing his sudden tense disposition and tone of voice, Both walmart fashion specialists' eyes widened and they shared a look.

"Uh..yeah." Kurt confirmed; smirking. "Are you okay, Finn?"

He nodded, but remained tense. "Yeah, yeah i'm fine. Thanks for telling me." Looking up and, sending a smile that did not reach his eyes, he turned around and made his way out of the clothes section; with one question swimming in his mind.

'_Why the hell is Rachel partners with Puck?'_

* * *

**Dun, dun, dun! There's part one of the chapter, "competition"! I wonder how Finn feels about Rachel and Puck's new friendship? Jealousy? Anger? Only time will tell!**

**P.S: Again, thank you guys so much for giving me your comments and reviews! I have another chapter on How to Save a Life, so stay tuned for that. Bye!**

**~Vikki3775**


	10. Competition part 2

**Heyyyy Guys! Wow, I can't believe that this is the tenth chapter of Save money Live Better! I remember sitting in my room; contemplating on whether this story was even going to be good and here I am! Thank you guys so much for your reviews, favorites and follows! Enjoy!**

**~Vikki3775**

* * *

"So the point of this bogus assignment is to "find one idea that the store can use in order to gain back customers." Santana read off the computer in front of her. She turned around and faced Brittany. "I honestly don't know what crawled of Mr. Schue's ass, but he need's to get it out. This is a terrible idea."

"Not really Santana." Brittany sat in the seat next to her. "Don't you remember what you asked me before I decided to work at Walmart with you?"

"Ummm..no?"

Frowning, the blonde girl said, "I really don't remember either. But what I do know is that I joined because I wanted to be closer to you." She grabbed the latina's hands and smiled at her. "Think about it. Not only will we get a raise for our idea, but we'll be famous! Once people start liking our idea, they'll be asking, "who created this idea, I want to know them!" Then, I won't have to deal with Lord tubbington going on my back about which plate goes to which customer at the diner! It'll be a win, win situation!

Santana looked unsure. "I don't know about this Britt."

"Well, we already have some fabulous ideas written down." She gestured towards the piece of paper in her best friend's hands. "All we have to do is figure out ways that we can complete our ideas, and how we can convince the others to go along with it. Come on Santana, please?!"

For a moment, the brunette looked at her warily, but then smiled. "How did you become so smart?" Brittany jumped up from her seat and hugged Santana.

"Yes!"

* * *

"_Knock, knock." _

"Oh. Hey Rachel."

"Hey? That's all you have to say? I've been calling you for the past few days and you haven't called me back or text me!" The petite diva said exasperatedly as she made her way into her best friend's apartment. He turned towards her.

"Well, I'm sort of busy with the project, you know, the one that you're partners with _Puck_on." He emphasised the name. Recognizing this, she turned around and cringed.

"Oh, you heard about that?" She took a seat on his couch and looked up at him.

"Of course I did, but what i'm not happy with is that I had to find out from the two biggest gossips in Walmart, not you."

She frowned and tilted her head slightly to the side. "Santana and Brittany?" He sighed and rubbed his face with his hand.

"No, Kurt and Mercedes, but that's not the point."

"Well what is the point?" She looked more alarmed by his tone of voice. "I have to report to you when something happens all of the time? We're just partners Finn, if that's what you're wondering."

"I-I know that." he groaned. "It's just.." He sat down next to her and looked at her. "..Puck's got this rep, you know? Of hurting people; using them." he grabbed her hand and squeezed it softly. "I just don't want that to happen to you."

She smiled. It warmed her heart how much he cared for her. "I get that you want to protect me Finn, but Puck is a good guy." He scoffed. "No he is! You should know yourself, since he's your best friend."

"No, you are." He corrects.

She shakes her head and then smirks knowingly. Finn gives her a confused look. "What?"

"I know what this is about." she says. "You're jealous."

He gasped; his mouth gaped open. "What?!" He started laughing. "Rachel, what makes you think that i'm jealous of you and Puck? You're just partners."

She nodded. "Yeah, but even when you found out you got mad for no reason." He sighed and smiled.

"Rachel, I was upset with you, because you didn't tell me." Still smirking, she nodded.

"Okay, suure." She stood up from the couch and faced him. "Well, I was going to come here so we can hang out but…" She sighed dramatically. "...since you aren't jealous of me and Puck, i'll just be on my way to meet with him." Standing up, Finn strided fast to where she was standing.

"No! Wait, Rachel we can hang, I mean it's-"

"No, I actually promised to meet Puck at five, so I might as well make it early."

"But it's twelve o'clock." he said sadly.

"So?" she said curtly as she ended the conversation with a close of the door. Leaning against it, she sighed. If that's how he wants to play it, then fine. She loves games.

* * *

"Alright, alright! I'm coming, damnit!" Puck yelled as he marched over to the door that was banging as he spoke.

"What!" he greeted harshly as he swung open the door. Looking down, he watched as Rachel's eyes widened in surprise and in slight fear.

"U-Um." She stammered. "I-I was just wondering if you…" She gulped as she stared at his bare chest, a nipple piercing showing it's great prominence. She stared back up at him "...wanted to start working on our project. You know, for work."

"_Oh Puck!" _A sickenly sweet female voice cooed suddenly. "Are you coming back to bed?"

Slightly cringing at the pointed look that he received from the brunette across from him, he gave a small sheepish smile and said, "One sec, Princess."

Closing the door, Puck rushed into his bedroom to find one of his many customers seated on his bed, stark naked, with an expectant, seductive look on her face. He sighed and ran a hand through his mohawk.

"Yeah, Jessica?"

"It's Maddie." she corrected.

He nodded. "Right. Well, _Maddie_I sort of need you to leave, like, right now." Her smile faltered.

"Wait, why? Was I not good enough?" Puck groaned in the inside at the rhetorical question.

"Yes you were, but you need to leave. Here i'll help you with your stuff." He reached down and picked up her slightly ripped clothes from his carpet and handed it to her. As she put her clothes on, he walked out of the room and picked up her stiletto heels, before walking back into the room and shoving it into her hands. Grabbing her arm quickly, he gently pulled her towards the front door, and opened it, mindful of Rachel watching from across the hall.

"Okay, well I hope you enjoyed the little sneak peak of the "Puckzilla express", the elevator is to your right and I hope you travel home safely. Bye Maddie."

"Wait, I need my pur-" Not letting her finish, Puck slammed the door in her face before walking over to his couch, picking up his red shirt and sniffing it quickly before putting it on. By the time he opened the door again, Rachel stood before him with arms crossed, pursed lips and a defiant look in her eye.

"Noah." He sighed.

"It's Puck, sweetheart. Come in." He gestured towards the inside of his dingy apartment complex. Sighing, she stomped past him into the room, unaware of the mohawked boy staring at her ass. She turned around.

"Puck, what the hell was that about? I thought you wanted Quinn?"

"I do Rachel, it's just.. the Puckerone has needs that need to be met." He started moving his hips in a seductive way. "I'm like a sex shark. If I don't move, I die."

Rachel rolled her eyes. "Noah, but you don't get it. What makes you think that Quinn's gonna want to be with you after she finds out how you treat woman?" He scoffed.

"News flash Rach. She already knows!"

She stared at him exasperatedly. "Exactly! Don't you want to change the way that she thinks of you? Don't you want to change your reputation?"

"Rachel, no one in their right mind would want to change their reputation. Including you." She shook her head.

"That's not true. If something, or a someone, was worth it enough, a person would work to change their reputation. You've just gotta want that person enough." Frowning, Puck stared into space, thinking about what she said.

Sighing, Rachel picked up her purse that was seated on his kitchen table. "You know what?" She asked quietly. "Maybe this was a bad idea. Maybe we should just do our own projects." She started to turn around.

"Wait!" He gently grabbed her shoulder and made her face him again. She rose her eyebrows in expectancy.

He sighed. "Alright, i'll do it. I promise not to have anymore random hook-ups. I want Quinn to give me a chance, a real chance."

Smiling triumphantly, Rachel touched Puck's arm. "That's great Noah! As soon as you know it, you two will be engaged to be married!"

"Woah, woah, woah." He shook his head. "You're going a little too fast there, Princess." She nodded slightly.

Grinning, he ruffled her hair.

"Hey!" She protested.

"You're not that bad my 'Jewish American Princess'. We might actually get along." She beamed back at him.

"Now, i'll be on my couch with my beer if you need me." he said as he took a seat on the slightly stained furniture. She gasped.

"Get over here now Puckerman!" He laughed as he stood back up.

* * *

"-So that's the idea we're going with." Finn said happily. "Uh.. Quinn?"

"Huh?" The blonde said dreamily as she stared into the people greeter's confused eyes.

"Are you okay?"

"Yeah." She cleared her throat, straightened up in her seat and twirled a piece of hair around her finger for the tenth time. She smiled wide at him. "You know, I think this project will be the best out of all. Don't you think, _Finny_?"

He cringed. Only his mom and Rachel call him by that name. When they say it, it's nice; almost like coming home. But when she says it, he really just prays to god that she doesn't do it again.

"Uh..yeah." He stood up from the couch. "I'm gonna go get something to drink, do you want anything?"

"Yes, can you get me some bubbly water?" He stared blankly at her.

"Uh..I-I only have tap water." He rubbed the back of his neck. Quinn smiled.

"Oh it's okay. Don't worry about it." Nodding slowly, Finn turned around and walked towards the kitchen, mouthing to himself, "bubbly water?" before opening the fridge.

Looking at the contents in his fridge, Finn spotted one drink that he forget he had.

Virgin Cosmos.

"Hey Quinn, I've got some Virgin Cosmos, you want that?" It was quiet for a few moments as Finn waited for a response. Finally, he got, "Um..yeah, sure."

Frowning slightly, Finn fetched himself a beer and grabbed the bottled pink drink before walking back towards the couch.

Hearing, the people greeter's footsteps get louder, Quinn pressed send on his phone and quickly put it down back where it was, just before Finn appeared back in the living room.

Frowning, Finn noticed her jittery movement, before shrugging and giving her the drink.

"Thanks." She eyed the bottle strangely. "Um...why is the drink pink?"

Finn laughed. "I knew I recognized this drink somewhere!" She stared at him blankly. He stopped laughing and awkwardly cleared his throat. "Usually when Rachel comes over here to hang out, she brings these, because she say my fridge is filled of only, and I quote, "Budweiser, orange juice and spoiled pasteurized milk." He imitated her voice as the blonde sipped the drink. But once she heard the brunette's name, she spit the drink out and it sprayed...all over Finn's shirt.

"Eww! Hobbit drinks this drink?!" She shook her head in disgust. " No wonder it tastes bad." It was then that she looked up and saw Finn; his white shirt covered in the pink liquid. She gasped rather dramatically.

"Oh, Finny I'm so sorry." She apologized. He grimaced at the name. She stood up. "I'll go get a towel-"

"No!" He said rather quickly and loud. "I'll- I'll go change my shirt." Turning around and walking down the hallway to his room, Quinn watched his retreating figure for a moment before returning to his phone and picking it up; smirking at the response she got.

"This is going easier than I thought." She muttered happily.

* * *

"See ya at the finish line T.C-squared!"

"Hey n-no f-fair! I can't a-accelerate on this thing!" Tina laughed as she tried her best to make the handicapped scooter go faster.

By the time she caught up to the four eyed boy, he was right in front of the magazine section, flipping through the pages of a "People" magazine.

"Hey, did you know that Prince Harry and Princess Kate named their newborn daughter Charlotte?" He asked casually, a cocky smirk on his face.

"How d-did you... w-wheel so f-fast?" She panted; staring at him in awe.

He laughed and pulled his sleeves back. "You see these guns?" He asked as he flexed his "biceps" in front of her face. She laughed.

"S-Shut up."

After a moment of laughing ended, Artie said, "We really should be working on our project right now."

She nodded. "Yep."

"But, we already know what we're gonna do. I'm gonna give free software and technology "how to" sessions while-"

"I-I'm giving free f-flu shots." She finished. He smiled.

"Plus, we both know we're gonna win, I mean with you being a Pharmacist and all, and-"

"-You being the best technical specialist ever, they won't stand a c-chance." She finished again; smiling at him as he blushed, looked down at his lap bashfully as he pushed up his glasses.

He looked up at her softly. "Hey Tina?"

"Yeah?"

"Do you ever notice that when you're excited or passionate about something, you stutter less?"

The girl's eyes widened slightly as she turned pale. "Really? I-I didn't k-know that." He nodded.

Suddenly, he rolled even closer to her so that they were face to face. He smiled at her as he turned red. "S-So Tina, I-I was wondering if you w-would-"

"J-Jeez, Artie you're sounding like me now." She joked, earning a nervous chuckle from him. She smiled at him encouragingly.

"W-What I was trying to say was...would you like to go on a date with me?" He said quickly, closing his eyes tight in fear of the answer. After a moment of not receiving one, he opened them, seeing his best friend smile wide.

"I thought you'd never ask."

* * *

"Hey Finn."

"Sup Matt. How's that arm doing?" Finn asked as he patted the usually silent guy on the shoulder. He shrugged one of his shoulders.

"It's hanging in there." He joked as he swung his arm slightly back and forth in his sling.

Finn laughed as he patted him on the back, before making his way towards the staff room.

"What the fuck?!" Noah yelled as he read the text message.

"Language Noah!" Rachel chided sternly. He rolled his eyes.

"Why the hell would he text you this? I thought you guys were cool."

She sighed and said, "That's what I thought too, until I got this message Saturday afternoon." She pointed at the screen.

"I mean, what did I do wrong?" She asked quietly, her voice cracking. Puck pulled her into a hug and sighed.

"Nothing Princess. Nothing at all." He said as he looked over his shoulder at a certain someone who was glaring daggers right back.

Finn didn't know what happened. One minute, he's greeting Mr. Shue as his boss heads in his office to make a phone call and the next, he's watching Puck of all people, hugging Rachel, _his _best friend. Glaring at his ex best friend, he decided at approach the lovely "duo".

"Hey guys." Finn said tensely as he approached them. Pulling apart, Puck turned around and glared at him, Rachel looking down at her lap. Noticing the tear tracks on her face, he became extremely concerned.

"Rach? What happened? Are you ok?"

Without responding to him, she looked up at Puck and smiled weakly. "I'm gonna go do inventory with Santana and Quinn. See you later, Noah." She sniffled.

"See you short stack." He leaned down and gave her another hug, kissing her forehead in which very much caught the people greeter's attention.

Puck shot him another glare before standing up also and walking past him. Confused, Finn caught up before he left the room.

"Puck." He turned around and frowned.

"What?" He snapped.

"What the hell was that about? What happened to Rachel?" He scoffed.

"Don't give me that bullshit Hudson. You're not _that_dumb. Oh wait, maybe you are? I mean, that's how you skim through women, right?" Finn narrowed his eyes.

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?" He hissed, fists clenching at his sides.

"It means-" Puck pushed him back sharply. "- that you're so dumb you don't even know which direction is right or left." He pushed him again. Finn's nose flared.

"Oh really? Says the guy who had a two point one as a high school G.P.A!" Finn shoved him backwards. "I mean really dude? You're the one to talk! You couldn't sit in class for two minutes without farting your answers." He shoved him again.

"Oh god." Kurt said, his mouth wide open.

"T-This isn't good." Tina shook her head quickly.

"Never in my life have I seen both Puck and Finn fight before." His eyes widened as he watched Puck push Finn again. "Is it bad that I don't want it to stop?"

"Not at all, honey." Mercedes piped in, grinning and fanning her face dramatically.

"Now, will you just tell me what's wrong with Rachel?!" Finn hissed as he pushed him again.

The mohawked boy shook his head, smirking. "You know what? No. I'm gonna let you figure it out. Just like you "figured out" your issues with your famill-" Before Puck could even finish, Finn's fist connected with his jaw in a quick motion, landing him on the floor.

"Woah, woah, woah! Stop it! Guys, cut it out!" Sam finally cut in as he pushed them apart. That was when Rachel, Quinn and Santana decided to walk in.

"Oh my god!" Rachel gasped hands over her mouth. "What happened?"

"Can't you see that they had a fight, treasure trail?" She sneered as she looked at the scene, a mischievous smirk on her face .

"You guys are lucky Mr. Schue wasn't here to see this. You'd be suspended for sure." Sam said, frowning.

Rachel rushed over and Finn stood a little straighter, expecting her to examine his damaged hand. But, she didn't. She went to _Puck_instead.

"Jeez Noah, I leave you for fifteen minutes and this is what happens?" She asks sternly, slight humor in her voice. She softly touched his now bruised cheek.

He shrugged. "Yep." She shook her head, grinning before she says softly "Let's get you you some ice." She flickered her eyes slightly at Finn, before grabbing Puck's hand and leading him out of the staff room.

Things were silent and tense as Brittany stepped into the room suddenly.

She smiled, oblivious at everyone's mixed facial expressions.

"So?...What did I miss?"

* * *

**There you go guys! Wow! So much drama!**

**Don't forget to give me your reviews and go ahead and share with your family and friends..I mean, what the hay?**

**I'll see you guys later, bye!**

**~Vikki3775**


	11. Competition Part 3

****Here's the next chapter of Save Money Live Better!****

* * *

"Now that Quinn, Puck, Finn, and Rachel are gone, we can now begin our meeting." Artie said as he folded his hands and placed them on the diner table.

"Yeah, speaking of that." Blaine added as he hung up his apron on a nearby hook and took a seat. "Since I don't go to work with you guys, I really don't know what's going on." He informed, frowning. "Why exactly are you guys here?"

"To discuss the love triangle...or...square." Kurt clarified, tilting his head to the side.

"Huh?"

"There has been some tension between Quinn, Rachel, Puck and Finn."

"What?" Blaine looked taken aback. "No, there's no way that Puck and Finn are arguing. Of course they have their little disagreements, but their best buds."

"B-Believe it, B-Blaine." Tina stammered.

"So what I'm hearing is that Puck and Finn have been friends for a while?" Sam asked suddenly. Everyone looked at him. He grinned sheepishly. "Sorry, I'm still getting used to this whole 'Walmart thing'."

"It's okay Sam." Mercedes smiled widely at him. "It took me awhile to understand too." Smiling back, the blond Bieber looked at her, a glow in his eyes that matched hers.

Artie cleared his throat awkwardly. "Uh..anyways, we've been trying to figure out what exactly has been going on, since each of us has asked them at least once what's wrong, which they still refuse to answer. Do you guys have any idea?" He looked around the table.

"All I know is that ice queen has been acting a lot more bitchy at work." Santana said.

Sam frowned. "'Ice Queen'?"

"Quinn." Everyone answered in unison. He nodded slowly.

"Has she been acting extra mean towards Rachel?" Artie asked.

"I mean, yeah. I try my best to set the bitch straight, but she always finds a way to pick at Berry even more."

"And I've tried to reason with Quinn." Brittany added. "But with me working at the jewelry section, and Lord Tubbington's drug addiction, I haven't had enough time."

"I've noticed something too." Kurt said. Artie looked at him and raised his eyebrows.

"When Finn came over to our work place last week, he asked us where Rachel was and when we told him she was with Puck, he acted weird…somewhat tense."

"Yeah, I noticed that too." Mercedes agreed, nodding.

"Okay, well these are just observations, right? I mean, you guys don't actually know for sure if something is wrong, right?" Blaine asked.

"T-That's what we th-thought." Tina said.

"Until the fight last Friday." Blaine's eyes widened.

"W-What fight?! Boy, I'm missing a lot."

"Here, I got it on video. You can watch it on my phone." Santana handed him the device.

Watching the video, the hair gelled boy's eyes widened, grimacing at the end.

"Ooo that's gotta hurt." He handed it back to the Latina.

"What was the fight about?" Brittany asked.

"From where I was standing, it sounded like they were arguing about Rachel." Sam answered.

"Yeah, Berry did have bloodshot eyes when I saw her that day." Santana said.

"Plus I've noticed that Finn and Rachel have been ignoring each other. "Artie added. He cleared his throat. "So here's what we've got. Apparently, Quinn's been bullying Rachel a lot more than normal for a while now, something happened between Finn and Rachel that involved Puck, and Finn and Puck have been arguing." Artie concluded.

It was silent for a few moments before Brittany groaned and massaged her temples.

"Gosh, this is so confusing!" Everyone nodded in agreement.

* * *

**Rachel sighed and pressed the ignore button on her phone once again, as soon as Finn's name popped up.**

She didn't want to talk to him. She didn't want to talk to anyone really, except Puck. Even though she's sort of angry about him being involved in a fight with Finn, he's a good friend. Plus, he's her partner for their project.

She just doesn't get it. Puck told her that Finn completely denied the text message he gave her and acted as if he didn't send it, which hurt her the most. The fact that he didn't even own up to his mistake, made her heart ache.

She scoffed. And how dumb is she? Falling for a guy who acts like he reciprocates her feelings one day then insults her the next.

She took these last hours of the night to analyze what exactly happened starting from yesterday when Puck and her were thinking of creative ways to bring out the holidays with a big bang.

_"Okay, keeping holiday donation bins throughout the store is definitely a must." Rachel said, writing just that on a price of loose leaf paper. "Now what else could we do?"_

_Puck raised his eyebrows. "What do you mean, "what else"?" He said incoherently, his mouth stuffed with potato chips._

_Rachel made a face of disgust before saying, "Noah, we have to do something else. When I used to get projects or homework assignments in school, I made sure to do something extra, just to highlight my assignment more and capture the interest of any of my fellow competitors and judges." She finally took a breath. Puck stared at her blankly._

_"Uh...yeah. Sure." She smiled triumphantly._

_"Okay, so-" A beep echoed through the apartment as Rachel picked up her phone. Seeing Finn's name, she smiled. She text him earlier today to ask him if he wanted to come to her place later for a 'Netflix movie night.' But when she saw the response, she frowned._

**_Why would I want to watch movies with you? I'm with Quinn right now, so fuck off ~Finn  
_****_  
She shook her head. No, there's no way he meant to send that to her. Maybe he was trying to text Noah or something. She responded back._**

**_Finn, I don't know if you meant to text that to Noah, but this is Rachel. We always hang out. Are you okay? ~Rachel_**

_Returning back to her work, Puck noticed her change in energy._

"Hey." She looked up at him. "You okay?"

She nodded quickly. "Yeah, yeah I'm fine." She gave a small smile. "Let's just brainstorm ideas, okay?"

Smiling slightly with worrisome eyes, the mohawked boy nodded.

About a half an hour later, they agreed on an idea they both knew would've out all of the other competitors completely.

_"Yes!" Puck said excitedly, standing up from the couch. He raised one of his hands up over his head. "Give me five, short stack."_

Smiling and standing up, she reached her hand up towards his, their height difference making it difficult.

"Noah, can you lower your hand just a little bit?" She got on her tippy toes as he smirked.

"Sorry, can't do that."

Frowning and jumping up to reach his hand three times, she groaned.

"Cut it out Puckerman!" Laughing, he lowered his hand so it could reach hers.

A beep echoed through the apartment again, changing her happy demeanor. She picked up her phone and read the message.

**_I'm fine. You know what? I'm done talking to you. Quinn was right, you are needy ~Finn_**

_Tears stung the back of her eyes. This doesn't sound like him. And when the hell did he start listening to Quinn?_

"Hey, I've got to get going." Puck grabbed his coat off the couch. "Skinimax is coming on at nine tonight. Can't miss it." Hugging her quickly, he kissed her forehead and walked towards the door, hollering a, "See ya, Princess" behind him.

Still staring at the cell phone screen, a tear slipped down her cheek.

What did she say wrong?

* * *

Sighing, Finn sat down in the chair next to Puck, who was digging into his Kosher cold-cut sandwich.

"You came here to punch me again, Hudson?" Puck said, not looking at him.

Finn sighed. "Puck, I didn't come here to kick your ass. I knew this was when your lunch break was, so I thought that we could take this time to talk."

He turned towards him and raised his eyebrows. "Fine, you want to talk?" He wiped his mouth with the sleeve of his shirt. "Talk."

"Dude, what happened to us?" He frowned and looked at him. "I mean, I just wanted to know if Rachel was okay-"

"Dude, I'm gonna stop you right there." He looked at him. "You're really gonna sit here and act like you didn't send those text messages to Rachel?"

He frowned. "Wait, what? What text messages?"

"The one you sent on your phone, dumbass!"

"What?" Pulling his phone out of his pocket, he searched through the messages shared with Rachel. After a moment of silence, Finn shook his head.

"No, no dude I didn't write this." Puck scoffed.

"Oh really? Then who did? The tooth fairy?" He rolled his eyes.

"You're questioning me now?" He raised his eyebrows. "You know I don't lie dude."

"I'm not so sure about that." His co-worker looked taken aback.

"What?"

"Never mind. I'm just saying that what you're saying is a bunch of bull crap. Why can't you just own up to what you did?"

"Because it wasn't me!" Finn said as his voice rose.

He shook his head and grabbed his trash before standing up out of his seat.

"Whatever man. But let me tell you this. You better get things right with Rachel." With that, he left the room, leaving a confused Finn behind.

* * *

"Yo Berry. Can you close up for me? I'm gonna go meet with Britt at the diner."

"Uh, yeah sure." She gave a small smile and nodded. "Go ahead. And tell Brittany that I said hi." With a nod and a smirk, she left the room and closed the door.

As she turned around and resumed her sorting, she heard the door open again.

She smiled. "Santana, did you forget your purse again? I told you, just because the diner's a few blocks away, doesn't mean that you won't need your pepper spra-" turning around, she saw Finn, who was standing at the door uncomfortably.

"Hey Rach." He walked closer to to her and gave a small smile.

"What do you want Finn." She cleared her throat and turned back around to resume her work.

"Can-Can we talk?"

"About?" She asked absentmindedly.

"The texts I allegedly sent you."

That caught her attention.

She turned around and raised eyebrows. "Oh, so now you're claiming that those texts were made up? That you didn't send them to me intentionally?" She said sarcastically.

He frowned. "No, I-"

"You know, I've dealt with a lot of bullshit from people in my life and I've sort of accepted it." She laughed bitterly as the people greeter was taken aback by her language. "But I've never experienced any bullshit from my own best friend. I guess I can add that to my list-"

"God dammit, Rachel can you just let me speak?!" He asked, exasperated.

Pursing her lips, she said curtly, "Fine."

He sighed and walked closer to her. "I read those text messages that I "sent" you, and I'm telling you, it wasn't me."

She scoffed. "Oh really? Because it sounded a lot like what you would say."

"Rachel." He gave her his lopsided grin. "You know I would never lie to you." He walked even closer, and mentally jumped in victory when she didn't step back. He grabbed her hands.

"Rach, why would I ever treat you mean after the kind of friend you've been. You've helped me so much." He smiled.

"I don't know, you tell me." She whispered.

He let go of her hands and sunk his head in defeat.

She stepped back.

"I mean, you became partners with Quinn, so I really don't know what to think anymore. "He rose his head up to look at her, his face confused.

"Wait, wait, what does this have to do with Quinn?" He backpedaled.

"Finn, she's been bullying me this whole time." Her voice rose. "She hates my guts! I thought that since you were my friend, you'd know that!"

"But, she has nothing to do with these texts!" He rose his voice. "I don't either." He made a hurt expression. "Why can't you trust me?"

Looking at her, he saw her eyes soften a moment before they hardened again.

"I'm sorry Finn, but I've been down this road before. I just can't trust you."

"Oh, and you can trust Puck." He scoffed. "Yeah, a real improvement."

Anger rose in her. "You know what Finn, yeah. He's an awesome partner, he's...different, but he's really been there for me. Especially these past few days."

"Then why did you become partners with him anyways, if he's so "different?" He air quoted the term.

"Because he needed me and I needed him." She answered curtly.

Finn looked frustrated. "For what?"

"It's none of your business." She said immediately.

"I just don't understand why you can't trust me when I say that I didn't text you that!"

"I'll believe it when you stop being partners with Quinn." Walking past him, she opened the door and gestured for him to leave. "Good luck on the competition Finn. You're gonna need it." With that she closed the door in his face, turning back around and returning to her work.

* * *

"I just don't know what else to do, Emma." Will ran a hand through his hair. "I mean, Sue won't leave me alone, Figgins has been on my back for what seems like all the time lately..."

"Will, I think you're over stressing this." The red headed girl said, sipping from her green tea. She put the cup down. "I mean, you're doing a good job with this new competition idea, right?"

He sighed. "Yeah, but my opinion doesn't matter this time. If we don't find at least one good idea to improve our store rankings, it's over...it's all over." He bit into his blueberry muffin.

Emma reached out, and squeezed his hand. "Things will be fine. I just know it. Don't underestimate yourself or your staff's ability." She smiled. "Though I have a few little inputs about your superstore's overall hygiene, there's no way in heck Walmart will close down. I won't let it." She said firmly, looking into his eyes. After a moment of just staring at each other, Will cleared his throat, hesitantly pulling his hand away from hers.

"Thanks Emma." His smile faltered. So how's things been with Carl, huh?" He pressed.

Her brown eyes sparkled at the mention of her boyfriend's name.

"Well-"

A screech from next to them cut off their conversation as someone pulled a wooden chair at their table.

Someone with an awfully familiar track suit.

"William, Erma." She greeted as she sat down and sighed.

"Hey, what a coincidence, eh? Here I am ordering my specialty, "Sylvester's Supreme", when I look over, and spot an all so familiar briar patch." She pointed at Will's head. "On this guys head. And I thought, "I might as well talk to you to losers anyways."

"Uh, ma'm?" They turned to look at the teenage blonde barista who shifted uncomfortably. "We don't accept euros." She placed it on the table.

She frowned. "You don't accept euros?" She pointed at her coffee cup. "What kind of _"World_ _Star café"_ is this?" Scoffing she reached in her pocket and pulled out her wallet, handing the girl a fifty dollar bill.

"Ma'm this is too mu-"

"Keep the change." She cut off looking at her up and down. "If there's any other indication, you're gonna need it for diapers when your future children are born out of wedlock. Your outfit just screams, "five dollar harlot".

Looking stunned, and slightly hurt, she took the money and walked away. Emma's mouth hung low as Will rolled his eyes.

"What?" She incredulously asked. "You guys were thinking it too."

He shook his head. "No we weren't Sue."

"So Eima." She changed the subject. "I read some of your pamphlets."

"Oh, really?" Her eyes widened.

She nodded and took a sip from her drink. "Yep. There wasn't anything I found, you know, useful. I just decided to check your office out on my way from Figgins' office." She looked down at her cup, muttering, "That was a waste of time."

"Wait, why were you at Figgins' office?" Will asked.

"Well William, since you must know everything I do, he and I discussed his decision for the "store cut off" day." She chuckled. "Turns out, he's deciding by the end of this week."

Will looked alert. "Wait, seriously?"

"Yep." She stood up from her seat and grabbed the remaining of his muffin, biting into it. "You guys are boring me now, so I'll be off." She nodded at them. "Ezma, butt chin."

"Why does she keeps screwing up my name?" Emma quietly asked.

Will put his face in his hands and groaned. "Now what am I going to do? I have to find one good idea by the end of this week, or the stores closed? Ugh, this isn't fair!"

"Well, wait a minute, Will." He looked at her.

"You said that all of your employee's are working on an idea for the store, right?"

"Yeah?" He didn't get it.

"Well there must be more than one good idea out there,  
you know? Like I said, you have some good kids working there. Instead of using one idea, why don't you use all of them?"

Smiling wide at her idea he said, "You're a life saver, you know that?"

She grinned. "Just make sure to use my idea, okay? There's Bacteria unknown crawling in that place." She cringed as he laughed at her adorableness.

"Sure, Emma."

* * *

"All right girls, gather up! Mandatory spa day in the making!" Kurt clapped his hands excitedly as he gestured the five girls to his exquisite living room.

"Spa day? I thought we were here to fix Berry's wardrobe." Santana bit into her finger sandwich. "No offense Yentl."

Rachel gave a small smile and said desolately, "None taken, Santana."

"Santana, we told you about three times that this was a "spa/sleepover" remember?" Mercedes hinted from her left as she nudged her.

Getting it, she blinked and straightened up. "Oh yeah! Sorry, I forgot." Kurt face palmed.

"Hey, do you guys know if Quinn's coming?" Rachel asked out of nowhere.

He shook his head. "Nope. I didn't bother inviting her because one: she'd make this sleepover a living hell, and two: we all just pretend to like her." The girls watched as the brunette made a relieved expression.

Kurt cleared his throat and smiled. "So ladies, you guys ready for presentation day tomorrow? Mercedes and I am!"

"A-Artie and I are." Tina said.

"Yeah, and from what I've heard from the boys, you guys have gotten pretty close lately." Mercedes teased.

The petite diva smiled. "Is that true, Tina?" She blushed.

"I-I don't know, I m-mean..."

"'Cause if you're just fucking him, that's not dating." The Latina piped in.

"If that was the case, Santana and I would be dating." Silence took over the group as Brittany's comment floated in the air.

Kurt broke the silence. "...Okay..." He cleared his throat as he placed a nail polish container on his lap. "Who wants their nails done first?"

* * *

The girls laughed and giggled as they each applied organic avocado masks on their faces.

They watched movies, did some karaoke and were now just pursuing in some simple girl talk. The only person Kurt noticed was unusually quiet was Rachel.

"Alright Rachel what's wrong."

Cautiously uncovering the cucumber slices from her eyes, she turned towards him.

"Huh?"

"Rachel you've been oddly quiet throughout this whole day. And everyone in this room knows that's very unusual of you. Don't we girls?" Kurt asked the room. Everyone made sounds of agreement.

She smiled at him. "I'm...just nervous about the presentation tomorrow." She lied. "You know Noah and I have worked really hard-"  
"We know that's not what's bothering you Rachel."

Relenting, she sighed and looked down at her lap.

"It's Finn isn't it?" He asked softly.

She nodded. "I just don't know what I did wrong." She looked up and made eye contact with the girls who were tuning in on the conversation. "Those text messages he sent me were so mean. And then he denied sending them, making it seem like I was the one who was crazy." She looked around the room. "Do any of you have an idea what I did wrong?"

Giving sympathetic looks, they shook their heads. The African American diva pulled her into a side hug as Tina rubbed her back.

"You didn't do anything wrong, okay? Stop blaming yourself. Finn's just not owning up to what he did." Mercedes exclaimed softly.

"T-Things will g-get better." Tina added.

Smiling small, she whispered, "I sure hope so."

* * *

"I'm gonna go head to the bathroom, okay Finny?" As the blonde beauty walked down the hallway of her apartment, he sat there, staring at his phone, when it dawned on him.

He didn't even cringe at the nickname she gave him, his mind racing with so many answers.

The nervousness she had when he entered the living room that Saturday. The mentioning of her name in both text messages. And the suspicious smirk plastered on her face during him and Puck's fight.

_Quinn.  
_  
She was the one who wrote those text messages. He put his head in his hands. He's so stupid.

"Finn?"

He lifted his head and saw her as she stood before him, an overly concerned look on her face.

"Are you okay?"

Standing up quickly, he frowned. "Um, I'm not really feeling well. Can we cut our meeting short today?"

"Yeah. Of course." Taking a step closer to him, she frowned when he took a step back.

"Uh...bye." Turning around, he left the apartment, his mind forming what he needed to do.

He needed to make things right.

* * *

"Alright guys." Mr. Shue clapped as he walked briskly into the staff room. He stepped in front of the room and smiled.

"Today's the big day! Who wants to go first?"

"We'll go!" Kurt rose his hand eagerly as Mercedes followed him to the front.

"Okay. Since the holidays are around the corner, we felt like the store lacked in festive-ness." Mercedes started.

"So." The male fashionista opened a plastic container that contained form fitting outfits. He smiled wide.

"I call it the _"holiday do-overs"_." He exclaimed. "We fixed up the outfits so that it not only matched the holiday theme, but solved the catastrophe we call uniforms here." Will laughed from the back. "What we wear is an abomination!"

"It is." Mercedes nodded.

"So I designed outfits to match each of your personalities and religious beliefs. Since Rachel and Puck celebrate Hanukkah, and Mercedes celebrates Kwanzaa, I made sure that your outfits matched the holiday you celebrate. As for everyone else, I organized form fitting Christmas outfits for each of you. Come on up and see them!" He offered as people started to stand up.

Rachel observed the outfits as each one had the staff members' name on them. Puck grabbed her hand and motioned towards the outfits different from the others.

"Come on Berry. Our little Jew corner is over here." She giggled at this as they walked past everyone, ignoring the looks from two specific people.

She laughed when she saw what Kurt prepared. Since he knew she couldn't live without her sweaters and knee socks, he included them in her outfit. Using the holiday colors, blue and silver, it expressed her personality very well. She could also tell where Mercedes added things in too. She laughed when she thought of how her outfit would have looked if her fashion fierce friend would've had control of the whole project. She even saw a menorah pin at the upper corner of her shirt, the name "Walmart" written on it.

Looking away from the outfit, she looked at the others who were smiling and laughing at their own individual outfit designs. The only person she realized was not present was Finn.

After a few moments of looking, she found him talking to Will, a serious expression on his face. Will seemed to look serious too, which brought her to the conclusion that what they were talking about wasn't a joke.

During their conversation, Finn caught her gaze. Turning away quickly, she made her way back to her seat as everyone else was.

Everyone else's ideas were pretty unique and useful for the store. Artie and Tina brought the idea of free flu vaccines and "how to" technology lessons, while Sam and Matt organized a section specific for old yet still popular movies and shows, that used to play during the holiday seasons. Santana and Brittany used the jewelry section to advertise the new Christmas "bling" they made. Finally, it was Quinn and Finn's turn.

Instead of both of them going up, Will did instead. He frowned at the rest of the group.

"Finn has stepped out of the competition and refuses to present due to issues involving his partner, Quinn." His eyes directed at the blonde.

"Quinn, I am very disappointed in you. This is a team. Competition or not, we're a family. What you did was ignorant, mean and just plain cruel."

Rachel frowned. "Wait, what did she do?"

"Ugh!" Quinn stood up in front of the class and got in her face.

"Are you really that stupid Rachel?! I sent those text messages. Is it anymore obvious?!"

Rachel sat in shock. She was stupid. She should've trusted her gut when she read those unusual messages.

She laughed bitterly. "You're hopeless Rachel, pathetic. When are you going to get that into that thick skull of yours?"

She was tired of this. She had enough. A surge of confidence overwhelmed Rachel and she stood up.

"You know what Quinn? Yeah, maybe I am pathetic, or weak, but I know what I'm not: desperate. I don't hang off of guys, hoping to get into a one sided relationship." Her voice wavered but she continued. "I don't work my best to bring other people down just to feel good about myself. Just face it Quinn. You're just a mean, cold hearted, desperate, bi-"

A sting on her left cheek stopped her rant. She touched it gently as Puck and Finn stood up immediately and rushed to her. Puck grabbed the screaming blonde as soon as she motioned to attack again.

"Rach, you okay?" Finn asked softly. She nodded with unshed tears. He turned towards Quinn and glared.

"Really Quinn? She wasn't physically hurting you so why did you hit her?!"

"Let go of me!" She squirmed in Puck's grasp.

"Okay, let's go." Tossing her over his shoulder, the mohawked boy dragged her out of the room, the rest of the staff seated in stunned silence. Turning back to her, Finn touched her cheek gently.

"Let's go get you some ice, okay?"

* * *

"I'm sorry about Quinn." He gently pressed the small ice pack on her face. "Had I known she was going to act like that, I would've just sucked it up and presented with her."

"Finn, stop." He looked at her. She smiled slightly.

"Don't apologize. I should be the one apologizing." She choked out. "I'm so sorry Finn." She shook her head as tear after tear fell down her face. "I'm sorry I didn't believe you. You were telling the truth and I-"

"Hey, hey, hey." He crouched down in front of her and cupped her face between his two hands, cautious of the left cheek with the handprint marked on it.

"It's not your fault, okay? I shouldn't have agreed to being Quinn's partner in the first place. She was so mean to you and you're my best friend. I should've known that she would be this sneaky. You weren't aware of her capabilities because you always see the best in people." His thumbs caressed her cheeks, wiping her tears away during the process. He gave her a small smile.

"So don't you dare apologize, you hear me, Berry?" He feigned sternness but smiled wide when he heard her giggle.

Sitting back on the metal bench he pulled her to his side, squeezing her small frame tight into him.

He chuckled. "I missed your laughs." He squeezed her in even tighter. "I missed you." He whispered. Still in their embrace, she looked up at him and smiled.

"Me too." She whispered, looking into his hazel eyes.

"Alright, move aside Hud." They looked up and saw Puck, who motioned for them to give him room on the semi rusty bench. He sat between them and sighed.

"Well, that was an interesting meeting."

"Yep." Rachel agreed.

"Totally." Finn said.

"Dude, I know I suck at words, but I want to apologize." Quirking an eyebrow, the giant listened.

"I should've believed you when you told me you didn't send those messages. I mean, I should know you better than anyone. You're my wingman." He made a fist in hopes of a bump. "So you forgive me? Bro's before hoes?" Relenting, Finn chuckled, bumping him back.

"Bro's before hoes."

"Hey!" They looked up to see Rachel standing, her hands on her hips defiantly.

"I don't know who you guys are calling a "hoe" but I am not some harlot you find on the streets. In fact-"

Both bemused young adults laughed. "Rach, we weren't talking about you." Finn said. Puck shook his head and motioned her between them.

"C'mere, short stack."

Huffing, she sat between them, folding her arms. Puck ruffled her hair, as Finn tickled her sides.

"Okay, okay, I believe you!" She laughed, shoving the both of them.

Once things settled to a medium, Finn asked, "So what happened with Quinn?"

Puck sighed. "Well, I finally got her to calm down right before Mr. Shue met with her. Turns out she's been suspended from working all next week and had the leave the store's property immediately."

"Good." Finn nodded. "Though I still think she should've been suspended longer." Puck shrugged.

"Oh yeah, I forgot." Puck looked at Rachel. "We didn't get to present our project. Will said we could head back and present to the others now that Quinn's gone." Rachel beamed.

"That's great!" She stood up abruptly, clapping excitedly.

"Come on guys, follow me!"

Looking bemused again, the two boys followed.

* * *

"Alright. So we lead you guys here, at the entrance of the store, because our project was too big to bring into the staff room." Rachel exclaimed.

"So I'm guessing that this big blanketed structure is your project?" Artie pointed at the structure in front of him.

Rachel nodded excitedly. "Yep."

Puck sighed and looked around at the group. "Okay, since the holidays are coming up, in which any human being on this earth would be ecstatic about, Rachel and I took the initiative to supply the musical part of the holidays." When they got confused expressions in response, the brunette continued.

"Every holiday has got at least one song that plays through speakers at markets or social gatherings. So, without further a do..." She smiled wide and looked at her partner. He smirked.

"We present you our own holiday stage!" Pulling the tarp off, with the help of some of the guys, a stage about sixty five feet in width and two feet in height appeared before their very eyes. A guitar, drums, microphone, and keyboard was placed on the stage. Even a small Christmas tree with decorations was added also.

"Wow!" Will clapped his hands and laughed gleefully. He walked to puck and Rachel. "Guys, this is incredible! You really outdid yourselves!" He patted Puck on the back. "Good job!"

"Uh, uh." Santana shook her head. "This is so unfair Mr. Shue!" She started speaking so fast in fluent Spanish that everyone cringed, afraid of what they really meant.

"H-How did you get those i-instruments?" Tina asked.

The the pair looked at the oblivious blonde in front of them, everyone else sending her exasperated and pointed looks.

She shrugged. "What? I gave it to them but I didn't know what they would do with it." Artie face palmed.

Rachel nodded and smiled at her. "Yes, and we greatly appreciate it Brittany." she smiled.

"No problem."

"So..." He stepped up on the stage and grabbed the guitar, strumming it a few times. "Berry and I will take the initiative to supply the musical part of the shopping season." He reached out a hand to help her petite frame climb the stage. Once she was settled, she grabbed the microphone.

Will turned towards the group and smiled. "Well, I guess that's everyone..."

"Oh just give it up Will." Kurt interrupted, folding his arms sassily. "It almost too obvious who's the winner here. Congrats Puck, and Rachel."

Will laughed. "That actually wasn't what I was going to say at all." He smiled at all of them. "Congratulations guys. You all win."

"What?!" Artie said.

"Oh hell to the no!" Mercedes shook her head.

"Will, I thought this was a competition." Finn said.

He nodded. "Yeah it was. And now that I realize it, I shouldn't have started the competition. It was a bad idea, and I'm sorry." He sighed. "I shouldn't have made this project a competition between you guys." He walked around the staff that wasn't on the stage as he exclaimed, "You all had brilliant ideas, and I mean brilliant. A-And what happened today made me realize that I don't want to pin you guys against one another. I meant it when I said we are a family. So,..." He stepped up on the stage and took the bedazzled microphone from the brunette's hands; turning it on.

"We're going to use all of your ideas." He announced through the microphone. "Starting today..." He continued. "Everyone will start promoting their ideas."

"Well, we better start soon."Artie said, as he gestured towards the rapidly building group of customers who were rushing in.

Will clapped. "Okay. Let's get to work guys." He turned towards Puck and Rachel. "You think you guys will be okay over here?"

"We got this, Will. Don't worry." Puck assured. The boss nodded.

As Finn made his way to the front entrance of the store, he grinned at Rachel, who was testing her voice and doing a few scales. Spotting him, she yelled, "Finn, wait!" Hopping off the stage, she walked swiftly towards him.

"What's up Rach?"

"Um." She looked down at her hands as she fiddled with them. "I know you were supposed to work Finn, b-but..." She looked up at him and bit her lip. "I asked Will and he said that since you work as a people greeter, you can..help us out with the m-music. I-I know you love playing the the drums, so I wanted to ask you. Y-You don't have to join us Finn, we-"

"Rachel!" He laughed as he gently placed his hand over her mouth.

"I'll do it."

"Whheely?" She murmured under his hand. He smiled softly at her adorableness an nodded.

"Well come on, Hudson! I already have a song ready." With a wink she grabbed his hands and pulled him up on the stage. Puck patted him on the back in greeting before he sat down in front of the red drum set.

Once Rachel told them the song she was thinking of they got in position to perform.

As she went to the keyboard to begin the intro, Finn sat nervously, because one: he's never performed in front of a crowd before and two: this would be the first time he's going to hear Rachel sing.

**I don't want a lot for Christmas**

**There is just one thing I need**

**I don't care about the presents**

**Underneath the Christmas tree**

**I just want you for my own**

**More than you could ever know**

**Make my wish come true**

**All I want for Christmas is you, yeah.**

Finn stared in awe at her melodic voice as his cue started.

**I don't want a lot for Christmas**

**There is just one thing I need**

**And I don't care about the presents**

**Underneath the Christmas tree**

**I don't need to hang my stocking**

**There upon the fireplace**

**Santa Claus won't make me happy**

**With a toy on Christmas Day**

**I just want you for my own**

**More than you could ever know**

**Make my wish come true**

**All I want for Christmas is you**

**You, baby**

**Oh, I won't ask for much this Christmas**

**I won't even wish for snow**

**And I'm just gonna keep on waiting**

**Underneath the mistletoe**

**I won't make a list and send it**

**To the North Pole for Saint Nick**

**I won't even stay awake to**

**Hear those magic reindeer click**

**'Cause I just want you here tonight**

**Holding on to me so tight**

**What more can I do?**

**Baby, all I want for Christmas is you**

**You, baby **(She looked back at Finn, blushing when he caught her staring)

**Oh, all the lights are shining**

**So brightly everywhere**

**And the sound of children's**

**Laughter fills the air**

**And everyone is singing**

**I hear those sleigh bells ringing**

**Santa, won't you bring me the one I really need?**

**Won't you please bring my baby to me?**

**Oh, I don't want a lot for Christmas**

**This is all I'm asking for**

**I just want to see my baby**

**Standing right outside my door**

**Oh, I just want you for my own**

**More than you could ever know**

**Make my wish come true**

**Baby, all I want for Christmas is you**

**You, baby**

**All I want for Christmas is you, baby**

**All I want for Christmas is you, baby**

**All I want for Christmas is you, baby**

**All I want for Christmas is you, baby **

* * *

**That's it guys! Sorry it's been awhile, but I hope this makes up for it! The other updates are coming soon so stay tuned!**

**~Vikki3775**


	12. The Most Wonderful Time of the Year

**Sup people! How's it going? School's started for me so I'm trying to post as much chapters as I can before the dreaded homework starts piling in.**

**So I hope you enjoy this chapter of save money live better! I know I enjoyed writing it!**

**~Vikki3775**

* * *

"Finn, you okay?...Finn."

"Huh?" He snapped out of his daze, and looked at a concerned Rachel.

"You were just staring into space. Are you okay?" She reached across the café table and squeezed his arm. He blushed.

"Uh...y-yeah. I'm fine." He stammered, pulling away from the brunette's touch.

She frowned. This has been going on for two whole weeks now. He's been acting weird and slightly distant. Rachel knows it's probably because of Christmas coming up but a small part of her believes something different. One minute, he's fully engaged in a conversation with her and the next he's staring at her for minutes at a time with a look on his face that she can't quite decipher. She's asked him multiple times what's wrong in which he just pushes aside. Sighing in defeat, she took a sip of her coffee.

She's staring at him like he's crazy, he knows it. He really needs to ease up on the whole _"staring into the others soul" _kind of thing. To be honest, Finn doesn't know what's wrong with him either. Ever since he first heard her sing two weeks ago, he's been feeling...different. Aside from the fact that he was absolutely mesmerized by the performances she gave at Walmart, the giant blamed it on the impending Christmas holiday. Speaking of Christmas...

"Hey, Rach?"

"Yeah?" She pulled a small piece off of her muffin and put it in her mouth.

"Do you have any plans for Christmas?" When she frowned, he stuttered, "I-I mean, I know you're Jewish and everything, b-but my moms having this party, and she really wants you to come, and s-so does Kurt, and-"

"Finn!" She giggled loudly as she looked at his flustered face.

"I'll go."

A small smile erupted on his face. "Yeah?"

She nodded. "Kurt invited me earlier. But I'd be more than happy to go." She smiled before sighing, which concerned the giant. "Though, It seems like only Kurt and Carole want me in Lima for Christmas, and you know, I really thought my own best friend would be the one inviting me first." She feigned a defeated

sigh.

"Of course I want you to come!" He exclaimed, smiling wide. "You're like, the best company ever."

There was that look again. Rachel sat shocked for a second at his unidentified expression before pouting. "You're serious? You want me to come?"

He sighed. "Rachel, you know what that pout does to me. Please stop." She laughed and nodded.

"Okay, I believe you."

"Good." He smiled.

* * *

"William this is magnificent! Your daily customer rates have shot through the roof!" Figgins ecstatically said to Will.

He smiled. "Thank you, Figgins." He then scratched his head uncomfortably before asking,"So I guess this means my store won't get cut off?"

"Get cut off?!" Will's boss looked taken aback. "Why would I close down your store?"

The curly haired man was confused. "I thought you said you were planning on cutting a store off due to a decrease in funds?"

He shook his head and frowned. "No. I said I would be deciding which store will get part of their parking space cut off for a more deserving store." Will tried listening to as much as he could due to his boss' thick Indian accent.

"Wait, so you're telling me that you're just cutting off a parking space? That you weren't planning on cutting off a store at all?"

"Yes, that's why I called you in here, William. Your store is the one that gets the extra space. I'm taking it out of _'Sue's Sports_'."

"What?!" The visibly intimidating blonde woman stood up from the seat behind them. "You're taking out of my budget?! My vicinity?!"

"Yes, Sue, you don't need that extra space!" He yelled.

"Yes I do!"

"You have three other stores, Sue! Another one opening in Canada!"

She scoffed and crossed her arms. "That was my own investment." She continued, "I thought you were gonna cut him off, you know give him the old 'heave ho'! Or at least recommend him to a decent suit shop, one that doesn't make him look like he's from the cast of Blossom all the time." Will glared at her.

Figgins pinched the bridge of his nose in frustration and sighed.

"Sue, that's all I called you in for. It's final. You may be dismissed."

"Let me just say,-"

"You are DISMISSED SUE!" He repeated rather loudly.

"Fine." She rose her hands up in defeat as she backed away slowly. "I see how it is." She eyed the Walmart manager. "But I will be back and when I am, I'll be stronger than ever and smother you, and your little Superstore too!" She turned around and stormed out of the building, shoving a New Yorker out of her way with great force.

Will sighed and turned around towards the Indian man. "Well."

He smiled and reached to shake his hand. "Congratulations William. You deserve it."

He shook his hand and smiled. "Thank you. You won't regret this." Stepping out of the building, he smiled and sighed in relief, glad that he could return to his store once more.

* * *

"So how was your Hanukkah, Noah?" She sat next to him in the staff room as they all celebrated their staff holiday party.

"Oh, you know. Ate some Chinese with my mom and sister, watched Schindler's List three times, opened presents, our usual tradition." She smiled at this.

"Oh, so you have a little sister?" He smiled at the mention of her, running his hand through his mohawk.

"Yeah. Her name's Sarah." She nodded. He looked at her.

"So how was yours?" He asked.

She sipped some sparkling cider from her red solo cup before smiling widely at him.

"Well, my dads and I exchanged gifts, had an amazing dinner, and we-"

"Hey guys." Greeted Finn as he sat down next to Rachel, putting her in the middle. "What's going on?"

"Short stack here was just explaining what she did for Hanukkah."

She turned to look at Finn and beamed. "We saw "Fiddler on the roof" at Columbia's community theater!"

"Oh, so it's a play?" Finn scratched the slight stubble on his chin in thought. "I think Kurt mentioned that play to me once."

"It's very popular."

"Well, I've got to bounce." Puck stood up and sighed. "The bar is calling my name... again." He tilted his head at the last word.

"You're going to spend your only day off, alone?" Rachel asked worriedly.

"Yeah. That's what I do every year." He shrugged like it was nothing.

"Puck, you know you're more than welcome to celebrate with us, man." Finn offered.

Puck frowned in thought as he said, "Yeah, it would be nice to see mama Hudson again." Rachel quirked an eyebrow.

"_Mama Hudson_?"

Finn chuckled and shook his head. "It's his name for my mom."

"Come on Noah, please? It would be so fun if you come join us." She pleaded.

He rose his eyebrows and pointed at her, asking,"Wait, you're going too?" She nodded and pouted.

"Please?"

Looking at her a moment, he muttered,"Damn those eyes." He sighed. "Fine. I'll go with you guys."

Rachel squealed happily and clapped as Finn smiled.

"Okay dude, I'll text you tonight about the airplane information and stuff."

Nodding, he left the room, leaving the two alone on the bench. Finn wrapped and arm around her shoulders as Rachel laid her head on his shoulder.

"Finn, I have a question."

"Shoot." She looked up at him.

"I know you told me I didn't have to buy gifts, but I couldn't help but wonder what your family wanted for Christmas."

He smiled and said,"Rach, I told you. You don't have to worry about getting them presents. But if you really want to, get Burt something he can use at the tire shop and something fashionable for Kurt. As for my mom, she'll love anything you'll get her. She always says, "it's not the amount of money you spend on it, it's the thought that counts."

"Still-"

He laughed. "Trust me she'll love whatever you're getting her." He looked down at her, giving a lopsided grin. "'Cause it's coming from _you_." He tapped her nose teasingly at the last word. She blushed.

"Ok then." She straightened up and looked at him. "But what about you, huh? I can't go to my best friend's house for his favorite holiday and not give him a present." She exclaimed pointedly.

He scoffed and grinned. "I don't need any gift. I've got something much better than some lame presents this year."

"What?" She asked.

He looked at her and said softly, "You."

Again the Walmart employee was stricken with the same expression as before as he grinned at her. She blushed profusely again and shook her head.

"Nope. I'm gonna get you a present."

He quirked an eyebrow and laughed. "Defiant are we?"

"Just watch Hudson. You're gonna be blown away by the gift I'll get you. Just wait."

"Sure Rachel." He unexpectedly kissed her cheek, instead of her forehead. Looking up at him with wide eyes, she watched as he continued talking, as if he didn't realize what he did at all.

"Woah, guys look." Mercedes grabbed the girls and Kurt as they all looked the the couple in front of them.

"I swear those two are getting closer and closer as we speak. I told Rachel they should just do the deed."

"Santana!" Everyone scolded to the Latina as she smirked.

"D-Do you think they like e-each other?" Tina asked.

"I think we've had our suspicions for awhile, so it's pretty obvious." Kurt answered. "I mean, look at them!" He pointed at the two in front of them that were seated a lot closer than the average pair of friends, Finn's arm now around her waist, Rachel's hand on his leg. He was whispering something in her ear which made them both giggle. "They look like they're ready for the cover of "Bridal Magazine."

"Ooh, wouldn't it be adorable if they got married?" Brittany cooed.

Santana scoffed. "Yeah, if they can own up to their feelings first." She looked around at the girls and said, "We've just got to give them a little push, that's all." She grinned mischievously.

"Don't you think that's a bad idea Santana?" Mercedes asked unsurely. "It's like we're forcing something on them." Tina nodded in agreement.

"They'll thank us for it." She turned towards Kurt. "You've got the things ready for your trip?"

He nodded rapidly and jumped up and down in excitement. "Those lovebirds won't know what hit them."

"I guess it's just us that's sane, Tina." She shook her head at her two friends as everyone laughed.

* * *

"Hey, how come we had to get up this early if our plane departs at freaking ten o'clock!" Puck grunted as he looked at down at his phone which said _eight o'clock._

"You think I wanted to wake up this early? Rachel wanted to," Groaned Finn as they both plopped on their seats near a local Dunkin' doughnuts stand.

"Why didn't you just say no?" He scoffed. "You're whipped man."

Finn looked at his friend nervously. "What? N-No I'm not! I mean, you've got to be dating to be whipped."

"Here you go guys." Walking slowly, the brunette struggled with their orders. Immediately Finn stood up and said softly, "Hey, let me help you with that."

Puck scoffed, smirking at this. "And he says you have to be dating in order to be whipped." Finn glared at him once they sat down.

"Here's your tea and bagel, Finn, and Puck, I couldn't find one of those "Monstrosity" drinks so I settled with "Red Bull"."

He chucked at the brunette. "It's _"Monster"_, but thanks."

"I also got your Slim Jim's." She cringed in disgust at the prices of beef jerky as she handed it to him.

Thanking her, Puck looked around in wonder. "Yo, where's Petunia? I thought he was with you."

"Oh, he went to a stand to get some organic tea before stopping to buy a magazine." She turned around and spotted him a few meters behind her, watching him already become deeply immersed in the booklet he bought.

"Thanks Rach." Finn said squeezing her arm. He looked down at her lap and found it empty.

"Hey, where's your food?"

"The line was way too long, and my hands were full, so I got yours first." She said, tiredly rubbing her forehead.

"Well that's not fair. Here, I'll go get it for you."

She smiled and shook her head. "Finn, no eat. I'll go back when the lines shorter..." Before she could finish he kissed her cheek and went to the line, completely ignoring what she said. Puck smirked as she looked at him.

"What?"

"Nothing."

* * *

_"Passengers, the pilot would like to inform you that we will be going through some turbulence. Please remain in your seats and buckle your seat belts until further notice."_

"Really?" Rachel asked quietly to herself as she buckled her seatbelt. Sighing, she leaned back in the seat and closed her eyes, prepared for what's to come.

"I can't believe they didn't have any toilet paper." Finn approached his seat once again and frowned when he saw the brunette's eyes closed, her hands gripping her armrests tight.

"Hey." He sat down and touched her arm. "You okay?" She shook her head and opened her eyes.

"I'm just really scared of airplanes and turbulence." Nodding, he wrapped an arm around her and pulled her close, rubbing her back to comfort her.

"It'll be okay. Just wait, it'll be over before you know it." He pressed his lips to her head and kept it there.

"You want to know a tip?" His voice vibrated against her skull which sent chills down her spine. She looked up at him.

"What?"

"Close your eyes and imagine yourself in a tougher situation, somewhere you don't want to be but have to because you have no choice. Better yet, think about someone else who's had it worse, and compare to what you feel right now." Closing her eyes, she nodded.

"What did you imagine?" He whispered. Opening her eyes, she looked up at him.

"I imagined never getting the job at Walmart, never meeting you." She whispered, boring into his hazel eyes.

"Yeah?" He asked softly, his expression changing once again. Swallowing, she nodded.

Grinning at her, he pulled her into a big hug, the comfort of his arms distracting her from the slight shakes of the plane. Across from them, they caught the attention of their stylish friend, who was watching subtly with a knowing smirk on his face.

"I love you, you know?" He whispered so quiet, she thought she wasn't supposed to hear. Her heart beat wildly in her chest as they pulled apart, his hand caressing her face. Her breath quickened when she realized he was leaning in. Sitting there in shock, she watched as he got closer and closer to her...

"I swear, these milfs are killing me."

Both Finn and Rachel jumped apart in the seat, blush forming rapidly upon their face. Sitting down across from them and sighing, Puck shook his head. He clearly didn't notice the position they were in, because he continued speaking.

"That one right there?" He pointed to a blonde at the end of the plane who was handing an elderly woman a cup of water. "She was eyeing me. And I bet she slipped her phone number in my pocket." And just as he guessed, he found a post-it note in his hand, the ten numbers staring at him, haunting him. Sighing deeply, he ripped the paper. Rachel smiled and reached over to pat his hand.

"It'll all be worth it in the end, Noah." Looking down at his lap dejectedly, he nodded.

"I sure hope so."

"Wait, what's gonna be worth it?" Finn looked between the two, avoiding the brunette's gaze a bit.

She sighed. "Noah really likes Quinn, and he wants to date her for real. He actually lov-"

"Nope, nope, I didn't say that." Puck said quickly, trying his best to cover up the word, before he sighed when he realized he failed.

Finn and Rachel exchanged a sly grin before Finn looked at his friend again.

"You love her Puck? Did I hear that correctly?"

He stammered, "I-I never s-said that."

Finn's eyebrows rose amusingly. "Your stuttering says everything."

Relenting, Puck rose his hands up in defeat. "Fine, fine, I love her okay?"

"Well, what do you love about her?" Rachel asked softly, a beam on her face.

He shrugged. "I don't know, she's a badass, snarky, and I have a thing for milfs. You want me to write a love poem too?" He sarcastically said.

Rachel nodded slowly, at the...interesting response. "Okay, well think try this Whenever you feel like..._"pursuing" _a girl, try to imagine the good things about Quinn. Just, dig deep, deep down and you'll find some," Exclaimed Rachel to her best ability. Finn scoffed.

"That's gonna be hard."

"Hey!" The mohawked boy protested, posting accusingly at Finn. "Don't talk about my woman like that!"

Rachel tilted her head to the side and place a hand over her heart. "Aww, he's already calling her his girl!" She cooed.

"Not to be rude or anything, but could you guys keep your Gossip Girl stuff to yourself? Better yet, have Kurt join you."

"Hey! I heard that!" Kurt looked up from his magazine next to him, and took one of his headphones out of his ear. "Plus, I already knew you had a thing for Quinn. Hell, Mercedes and I knew before you even realized it yourself."

Puck sighed. "Can we talk about something else? That doesn't involve me?"

Mumbles of "fine" and "we'll continue this later" we given as a response before the speakers on the plane turned on again.

"Passengers, we are about to descend at the Toledo Ohio airlines. Please fasten your seat belts if you haven't done so, and thank you for taking Delta airlines." The female speaker said. All four buckled their seats and prepared for the landing that was about to come.

* * *

"Hi! Come in." Carole ushered the four in the moderately large house, kissing Kurt and Finn's cheek before settling on the brunette. She smiled wide and reached out for a hug.

"Rachel." They embraced tightly before she kissed her cheek and pulled apart. Looking at her, the petite diva saw a sparkle in her eyes, one she didn't have the last time Finn and her were here. It was nice to see her in a happier mood.

"We're so glad you could make it dear. Kurt and Finn have been badgering me nonstop to let you spend Christmas with us and I couldn't help but want you here too. Plus, we never got to talk much the last time you were here." Rachel nodded and smiled.

"Well, it's an honor being invited. I never really celebrated Christmas so it's cool to try something new this year."

"Well, come sit." She gestured towards the couch in the family room. Finn walked up to his mom and smiled.

"Hey mom, do you still have that second guest room?"

She frowned. "Yeah?"

He rubbed his hands together excitedly. "Good, because I've got you an early surprise." He turned around and called out, "You can come in now dude!"

Puck walked in the house, and greeted, "What's up Mama Hudson?"

_"Puck!"_ She rushed over to him and squeezed him tight, kissing his blushing face all over. At this, Rachel giggled.

"I've missed you so much!" She gushed, pulling apart. "How's your mom and Sarah?"

He smiled and said, "Fine. She finally went to school for nursing."

"Really? That's great! She wanted to do that for so long." She turned towards Finn and Rachel once again and asked, "Hey, where's Kurt?"

Finn sighed in exasperation at the mention of his friend's name. "He brought, like eight suitcases of stuff. I took two, but I told him that if he packed it, he's more than capable to carry it in here."

"Finn, that's not right." Carole scolded.

Rachel looked at him. "Yeah, your mom's right. I'm gonna go help him." She motioned towards the front door. Finn stopped her in her tracks.

"No. I'll help him out. Mom can you please take her to one of the guest rooms?" She nodded and smiled at her.

"Follow me honey." Grabbing two of her suitcases, she lead her up the stairs to the room she would be staying in for the holiday.

Finn walked out of the house, finding Kurt perched on one of his three other suitcases, talking on the phone in a hushed voice.

"Yeah, yeah, I've got the stuff...what!? That wasn't a part of the plan! We promised-"

"What plan?" Finn asked in curiosity behind him. Finn smirked when he saw his back tense up. Slowly he got up, mumbling a quick bye to the receiver on the other end. He smiled tensely at him.

"H-Hi Finn."

"What plan?" He repeated, a smug look on his face.

He grinned and waved his hand dismissively. "Oh you know, plans for Christmas! Blaine requested some family friendly Christmas movies we could watch. That's what's in the suitcases."

The people greeter rose an eyebrow. "So you have three suitcases filled with holiday movies?"

Kurt shook his head quickly. "No, no! I have decorations here too! Plus, I have my clothes. You know how serious I am about my accessories Finn." Nodding, Finn feigned understanding.

"Oh, okay. Do you need help with your stuff?"

"Nope, I've got it. Thanks though."

"Alright, see ya inside." As Finn walked back to his mom's house, he was confuzzled. He knows Kurt's hiding something from him and he's gonna find out soon.

* * *

_"Ahhh..."_ Finn collapsed on top of the guest room bed and turned towards the brunette laying on her back next to him. Seeing her deep in thought, he gently nudged her arm and asked softly, "What's on your mind, soldier?"

Turning towards him so that they're face to face, she grinned and said, "Soldier?" He gave a lopsided grin and nodded.

"Yep."

"Where did that come from?" She giggled. Her breath suddenly hitched when he moved on top of her, his arms holding him up so he wouldn't crush her petite frame.

"You're strong, highly opinionated and really stubborn." He laughed when she gasped and hit his arm.

"No I'm not!"

"Oh yeah?" Straddling her hips, he reached forwards and tickled her, laughing along when her infectious laugh echoed through the air.

"Does this tickle?"

Still laughing hard, she sputtered out, "N-No."

He rose his eyebrows amusingly. "No? This doesn't tickle you a little bit?" With that he tickled harder, making tears of laughter come out of her eyes.

"Tell me you're ticklish and I'll stop."

"N-No." When he pressed harder she finally relented. "Fine, fine, yes, I'm ticklish!"

Laughing, he stopped, going back to the usual position he was in before, his face very close to hers.

"See, I told you you were ticklish." He husked out.

She smiled. "Whatever."

He grinned. "But that was a new record. See? You're a little soldier." He wiped the salty tears that were trailed on their face. Almost instantly his expression became soft, as he looked into her brown orbs.

"My beautiful soldier." He whispered. Gulping, she saw him start to lean in, his breath hitting her lips. Just when they were about to touch...

"Guys, dinner's re- oh!" They both jumped apart for the second time that day to reveal Kurt, who had his mouth gaped open. Finn sighed in frustration and turned to look at him.

"What, Kurt?"

"Hey, don't get mad at me. I don't want to know what you guys were doing just then." He motioned between them and smirked. Both of them blushed.

Kurt rolled his eyes. "As I was saying, Carole said dinner was ready, so pick up your libido and come downstairs." With that, he closed the door, his stifled laughs echoing down the hallway.

Silence was left in the bedroom, as both Rachel and Finn refused to look at each other.

"Uh..." Finn scratched the back of his neck, which let the brunette know he was just as uncomfortable as she was. "...L-Let's-"

"Yeah." She interrupted as she shot out of the bed and headed for the door, her mind reaching to answer one question...

_What the hell just happened?_

* * *

"So Mr. Hummel, I heard you're a congressman." Rachel curiously asked, taking a sip of soda.

"Call me Burt honey, and yes I am. I just got elected actually."

"So you like, make decisions for the world or something?" Mumbled Puck through a mouth full of food. Burt laughed.

"Yes, Puck that's basically what it is." When he thought his son couldn't see him, he reached for another packet of soy sauce to use on his Chinese food. Unfortunately, that was when Kurt decided to look up from his plate.

"Dad! What did I tell you about the soy sauce?! You're blood pressure is through the roof!" He snatched the packet out of his hand and said, "Get some more white rice instead."

Rolling his eyes, the older man sighed, "Are we having dessert?"

"Yes honey." Carole laughed. "I made cookies. They're baking in the oven." All three of the guys straightened up at the mention of the desert.

"You made cookies?" Finn asked, licking his lips. She nodded and grinned.

"Yep. Your favorite. Chocolate chip." Finn's eyes widened and the brunette giggled at his almost comical expression.

Suddenly, Kurt clapped his hands and stood up out of his seat.

"Okay! It's decoration time! I can't believe you guys haven't started yet. Christmas Eve is tomorrow."

Finn rolled his eyes, "Kurt, I'm pretty sure they were going to do it tomorr-"  
"Too late!" He interrupted. "I have a two suitcases filled with decorations for the inside and outside."

"Oh that'll be fun!" Carole happily said. I'll help you get them out of the suitcases." As they left, Finn looked at Rachel.

"You sure you want to do this?"

She sighed but grinned. "It'll take a lot, but this house will look good when it's done. Come on." His best friend stood up out of her seat and grabbed the giant's hand, yanking him out if his seat towards the others.

* * *

"Okay dad, just a little bit to the-Finn! I told you to put the stockings around the fireplace, not the staircase railings!"

Rachel giggled as Finn rolled his eyes and said, "How am I supposed to know where it goes? We never had a fireplace in our old house."

"Finn, I've got it." Rachel touched his hand, causing a shock to take over both of him. It seems like ever since the event that happened a few hours ago made his feelings even stronger. It's almost to the point where he can't control it, and Finn knows she's starting to realize it too.

"Well..." Burt brushed the dust off if his hands. "I think we did great with this house." Everyone walked around the space and looked at the hard work that took an hour and a half to finish. The walls were covered with Christmas lights which became really prominent when all of the house lights were out. A few pine scented candles were scattered around, giving it a holiday feel. Rachel knew Finn loved the smell of Christmas trees so she took the initiative of running to the store to get his favorite candles. The Christmas tree was set up finally, and with a few attempts of untangling the Christmas lights, the group decided to decorate the tree tomorrow on Christmas Eve. Puck and Burt then took the time to decorate the outside shrubs and bushes with the untangled lights, while dressing the outside of the house with decorations and memorabilia coming from both Carole and Burt's family. Overall, everything looked perfect and the family couldn't be any happier with the results. Suddenly, a clang sound from the kitchen pulled the brunette out of her thoughts.

"Shit that's hot!" Everyone rushed towards the kitchen to find Puck, holding his tongue in pain, a half bitten cookie laying on the counter.

Carole screeched, "Puck! Those cookies were just put out of the oven!" She reached in the freezer and pulled out an ice pack, handing it to him.

"Here, apply it to your tongue for twenty minutes."

Nothing but incoherent sounds escaped his mouth once he placed the ice block over his mouth, soothing his taste buds. Rachel tried her best to stifle her laughs before the damn broke and she started laughing hysterically. Finn looked at her and smiled.

"What's so funny?"

"That probably would've been you if you let your obsession with cookies take over you this time." He gasped dramatically.

"I don't have a cookie obsession!" That only made her laugh harder.

"Finn, that time I made you "get well" cookies when you were sick, they were gone by the time I came back from the supermarket with soup for you a half an hour later!" Finn gaped and looked away from the giggling brunette and looked at his mom.

"Mom, you don't think I have a obsession with cookies, do you?"

She shook her head and smiled. "Honey, right now, anything that has come out of Rachel's mouth lately about you has been proven to be true. Plus, I know you like the back if my hand." She watched as her son rolled his eyes playfully at her before turning towards the still giggling brunette, tickling her until she went back to laughing hysterically. She does know her child. She knows what he likes, whether it's food or a girl and she can tell by the soft look in his eyes that she was right about the brunette who stole his heart.

After eating the cookies once they cooled off, everyone retreated upstairs to their rooms to prepare for bed.

_"Knock knock ."_ Finn turned around and saw Rachel in her adorable holiday footie pajamas.

"Hey, when'd you get those?" He asked, pointing at her clothes. She blushed and look down.

"A few days ago. I wanted to get in the Christmas spirit, and I know it's kind of weird but I like wearing footie pajamas." He could tell by the blush on her cheeks that she was embarrassed, which Finn found even cuter.

"It's not weird. It's adorable." He says, walking closer to her. She looked up at him bashfully before whispering, "Yeah?" He nodded and smiled before hugging her.

"Yeah, it's like, total badass." She giggled before looking up at him during their embrace.

"So, about the Christmas presents..."

Finn groaned, "Gosh Rachel, I told you you didn't have to buy them anythi-"

"I'm talking about you." She interrupts. "I still got you a present. And I threw away the receipt so you can't return it." He sighed and looked down at her.

"You're something else." She looked into his eyes and grinned.

"As long as it's not a bad person I'm fine with it." He laughed as they pulled apart.

He kissed her cheek and whispered, "Night, Rach." She blushed and nodded silently before backing away.

"Goodnight." As she closed the door, Finn sighed in relief and looked at the present slightly hidden under his pillow.

"That was close."

**:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::  
Ooh! Finchel! I know guys probably hate my f$&amp;:$/! guts right now, but trust me the next chapter will be even better!**

**Please send me your reviews! They mean a lot to me and it motivates me to write. See ya!**

**~Vikki3775**


	13. The Most wonderful Time of the Year: two

**Sup! I know you guys are probably anticipating for this chapter, so I decided to write this one so that I don't leave you hanging.**

**As for the other stories, I'm posting the next chapter of talking to the moon, which is probably gonna be the longest one ever, so stay tuned for that!**

**Anyways, enjoy this chapter!**

* * *

_"It's the most wonderful time of the year..."_ Rachel sang softly along with the radio as she helped her best friend's mother set the table for breakfast.

"You have a beautiful voice, honey." Complimented Carole as she handed her the glass plates. She smiled meekly at her.

"Thank you, Ms. Hudson."

She shook her head and smiled. "Oh please, call me Carole. Ms. Hudson makes me sound too old." She giggled.

"Hey, Rachel can you do me a favor?" She asked, grabbing her arm gently. She nodded.

"Puck and Finn are very deep sleepers and I need Finn to go out and get more eggs at the supermarket. Can you wake them up for me? Those two will sleep through the world ending, I swear." She rolled her eyes and Rachel laughed.

"Sure."

"Thank you."

As she got to Puck's door first, she knocked before walking in slowly after she didn't get a response.

"Noah?" She whispered. When she got to the bed, she nudged him, only making him snore louder. She frowned. How the hell is she going to get him up? Smirking at an idea, she leaned towards him and spoke softly in his ear.

"Puck." She imitated Quinn's voice. "It's time to wake up."

He groaned. "Babe, just five more minutes." Mumbled Puck as he shifted to the other side. Sighing, she leaned closer and cringed, getting prepared for his reaction.

"NOAH, WAKE UP!" Startled, the mohawked boy fell off the other side of the bed, the brunette watching on in hysterical laughter.

"What the fu-" He looked up and saw Rachel, who looked sheepish, and glared.

"You little…"

"You love me." She grinned, shrugging. "Carole made breakfast downstairs, so I strongly suggest you get some before Finn wakes up." Nodding, but still leering, he trudged out the guest room door, growling at her giggles. Sighing, she moved next door, which was where Finn slept.

Walking into his room, she was stricken with so many things that signified his personality. From Journey posters, to an old record player in the corner of the room, he had everything. Though she would've loved to explore more in his room, she continued to do what she was asked, so she started tip-toeing towards his bed.

Mildly loud snores echoed through the room, and the brunette found slight drool trailing the corner of his slightly agape mouth. She giggled before leaning down and talking softly to him.

"Finn, it's time to get up." She shook him gently, but all she got was a slight groan.

"Your mom wants you to come down for breakfast."

"Justfivemoreminutesbaby." He mumbled incoherently, turning his head away from her. Ignoring the term of endearment, she smiled and shook his body slightly again, whispering in his ear.

"Come on, it's Christmas Eve. Don't you want to spend as much time with your family as possible?" That woke him up, because he pulled his head up and wiped his eyes, yawning. She smiled.

"See? That wasn't that ba-" she didn't get to finish because she was pulled into bed with him, his arms wrapped tightly around her.

"You thought you could get away?" He croaked through his sleepy voice.

The petite diva laughed. "I could've got ice water to wake you up, so take this as a lucky shot." A deep chuckle vibrated against her back, for they were in a spooning position. Letting go of her, he sat up, his eyes still glassy from sleep and his hair unruly.

"So what did you say again?" He asked.

"Carole wanted you to go out and get more eggs, since she only had two." He nodded and smirked at her.

"But only under one condition." When she looked at him questioningly, he responded, "You go with me."

Setting her lips in a straight line, she said, "Fine" before spotting his now crusty drool once again. Grabbing a tissue from his nightstand, she reached for the corner of his mouth and softly said, "Here, you've got some drool right…there." As she wiped it off slowly, Finn stared at her in awe before grabbing her hand and placing a kiss on it. Blushing, she put her hand down from his face and smiled.

"Let's go get some eggs then."

* * *

"So what are our plans for today?" Finn shrugged and gave a side glance at her for a second.

"Honestly, I don't know. Kurt's usually the one that fusses over stuff like that. I heard that we still have a few more decorations left to put up and Kurt's got a bunch of Christmas movies to watch today and tomorrow." She nodded.

They were driving at a normal speed, the streets pretty clear due to the holiday season. As they stopped at a stoplight, Finn turned towards her and pointed at something.

"See that building over there? That was my high school."

"Really?" The brunette turned to look at the large building that spelled ''McKinley High" on it. She imagined a lanky teenage boy around Finn's hight, entering and leaving the school everyday.

"Wow, " she whispered once the light changed and they continued down the street.

When they got to the supermarket, the first thing they saw were Christmas cookies.

"Ooh Finn! We can make sugar cookies!" He frowned and looked at her, a slight grin on his face.

"I thought we already had cookies, silly?" Finally realizing it, she nodded, her shoulders drooping dejectedly.

"Well, I can still make my famous banana bread and you can help me!" Her excitement returned instantly as her small frame jumped up and down.

When she caught him looking unsure, she pouted, grabbing his arm and leaning in. "Please?" Staring into her brown orbs, he easily relented, which made her hug him tight.

After getting eggs, eggnog, more sparkling cider, and the ingredients needed for the banana bread, they left the supermarket and headed back to the Hudmel's house.

* * *

"Hey Rachel?"

"Yeah?" She poked her head from the kitchen and looked at Kurt.

"Can you put this last decoration up for me?" He handed her a leafy green decoration that had two red berries on it. "Just hang it in the door frame of the front house for me?" Nodding, she did what was asked and walked towards the front door, only to find one problem:

She was way too short.

"Finn!" She called out. "Finn, I need your help!"

"Yeah?" He appeared behind her from the kitchen and asked, "What is it?"

She turned towards him and grinned meekly. "Kurt wanted me to hang this decoration up, but I can't…reach." Smiling at her adorableness, he said softly, "Sure Rach."

As both of them neared the doorframe of the entrance of the house, Finn placed the decoration on the door frame with ease.

"There we g-" he stopped his sentence when he realized exactly what the decoration was.

_A mistletoe. They were under a mistletoe._

"Damn it, Kurt!" He turned towards his co-worker who watched on with a sly smirk on his face.

Rachel remained confused. "Wait, what's wrong?"

Finn sighed. "Rachel, the decoration you asked me to put up was a mistletoe." Her expression changed from confusion to understanding once she realized what it was. Blush started to sprout on her cheeks.

"Well don't just stand there," Kurt laughed out, motioning between the two adults. "Kiss."

Turning towards her, Finn leaned down and placed a chaste kiss on the brunette's burning cheek.

"Oh, I'm sorry. I must've not have told you guys the definition of a mistletoe and what it means." Kurt pulled out his phone and searched it, clearing his throat before saying, "Oxford Dictionaries says that "a custom of kissing woman under the mistletoe prevails in many places." You might as well kiss on the lips and get it over with." Rolling his eyes, Finn turned towards Rachel and sighed.

"Rach, you know we don't have to do this, right?" He whispered. She shook he head.

"I told you I wanted to learn the Christmas tradition, right? This is how I'll learn." She smiled reassuringly at him and said softly, "It's okay."

Taking a deep breath, the people greeter did just that and leaned in, catching his breath right before their lips touched.

Magic. Magic is what it felt like for Finn Hudson. The soft cushion of Rachel's lips sent tingles down his spine. Though both of them were hesitant, the brunette deepened the kiss, wrapping her arms around his neck. As they were fully immersed in their kissing, the giant savored the wonderful flavor of cherry lipgloss on her lips.

Rachel couldn't believe this was happening. She wanted to pinch herself to see if this was real, but she was too immersed in the mind-numbing lip lock session to do so. She sighed in contentment as they continued, both completely oblivious to Kurt, who had his mouth agape, it soon being covered with his hand.

A clearing of the throat broke them apart. Blushing and gasping for breath, Finn and Rachel found that it was Kurt, who was trying his best not to look too amused by their short make out session.

"Well," he finally says after a moment of awkward silence. "That was a great way of showing her the Christmas tradition, Finn!" He laughed when he received a glare from his friend. Finn shook his head, beginning to walk past him.

"Whatever, Kurt."

That left Rachel at the entrance of the door, as she touched her fingertips on her lips, her dying wish to feel his against hers once more.

* * *

"Okay, you put the flour in the- Finn! Stop eating all the banana's!" She snatched the half eaten fruit from her best friend's hands.

"Sorry if I like to eat fruit," He said sarcastically through a full mouth. Carole laughed quietly from around the corner as she watched the two bake.

"Just, please, save some for the actual dessert." Finn rolled his eyes.

"Fine. Now what did you want me to do again?" Rachel handed him a measuring cup of flower.

"Just put this in the bowl and mix it for me, please?" Nodding, he did what was asked before smirking mischievously. Carole knew that look. Her son was up to something.

Reaching into the bag of flour, Finn grabbed a handful of the powdery substance, dropping it on the brunette head once she turned her back to him. Gasping, Rachel turned back towards him.

"Finn!" The giant doubled over in laughter before a wet substance on his head stopped him. Looking down, he spotted a broken egg in her small hand, a smirk prominent through the heavy layer of flour on her face.

"Ha! Got you, egghead!"

"Egghead? Let's see who's the egghead now!" Reaching behind her, he broke one on her head, the yoke sliding down her face, eventually falling to the ground. Gasping again, she looked up slowly at him through her drenched bangs.

"It's on, Hudson." In an instant, ingredients such as cinnamon, sugar, baking powder and yeast flew at them as laughter echoed through the spacious kitchen. Carole laughed softly and shook her head at the thought of how much they would have to clean when they're done before turning around and walking away.

Grabbing the laughing brunette, Finn took her in his arms and yelled, "Gotcha!" Turning her around, Finn brushed a strand of hair behind her ear before wiping a hint of cinnamon off of her nose with the pad of his thumb. Time seemed to slow down as they caught their breaths and stared into each other's eyes.

Finn grinned at her. "You've got a pretty nose." She scoffed at this.

"No I don't. It's ugly-"

"Stop." He shook his head and frowned. "You're beautiful. The little details you have on your face make you eclectic...unique." He gave her a lopsided grin. She blushed as he leaned his forehead against hers.

"Don't talk down about yourself, okay?" He said softly, gazing lovingly into her eyes. Nodding slightly, she whispered a "Yes," as he leaned even closer, their lips brushing just slightly.

"Jeez guys, what's taking so long?" They barely got a peck out before Puck walked in, a glass of white wine in his hand. Finn laughed nervously through the abrupt interruption.

"White wine man, really? I thought you were more of a Jack Daniels fan."

"Your mom wanted to be "more in season"." He air quoted the sentence before looking at them with narrowed eyes. "Now what the hell happened in here?" He motioned towards the two who were covered in the ingredients that were also splattered in the kitchen. Puck rose his eyebrows at their embraced position.

"Uh..." The said in unison, pulling apart slowly. Finn scratched the back of his neck while Rachel bit her lip.

Finding no other answer, she shrugged and said, "We were baking!"

Shaking his head and smirking, Puck said, "Whatever. Just to let you know, we're gonna start watching movies in the living room, so clean this shit up and come over." Laughing, he turned around and left, leaving them in their bemused position as they laughed quietly.

* * *

"Finn, stop hogging all the blankets."

"I'm not!" Finn whisper shouted, as Rachel tugged the blanket from them. The whole group was watching 'Elf' in the family room and had to share a share furniture with each other. By the time Rachel and Finn finished cleaning the kitchen, the couch was full, so they had sit on the loveseat.

So that's where they sat uncomfortably as they played tug of war with the wool blanket. With a final tug of the blankets, Finn sighed.

"You know what? I have an idea. C'mere." Hesitantly, Rachel got up from the seat and stood there a second, confused before Finn suddenly pulled her onto his lap, putting the blanket over them instantly. Jumping slightly at the new position, the brunette tensed up.

"You okay?" He whispered. Nodding slightly, she mutters, "Yeah."

He sensed her nervousness and leaned down to whisper in her ear. "If you feel uncomfortable, we don't have to sit this way. I just figured it would allow us both to have the blanket." He exclaims in a hushed voice. The warmth of his breath sent shivers down her spine. She nodded.

"I-It's fine." She tried relaxing on his lap and watch the movie, both of them oblivious to the others, who watched with knowing looks on their faces.

Throughout the movie, things became comfortable, Rachel leaning into Finn more whenever Will Farrell said something funny. But by the time they were in the middle of "Christmas Vacation", the group decided to turn in for the night.

"Guys, look." Everyone turned to look where Kurt was pointing, finding both Finn and Rachel asleep, cuddled together in the love seat. The petite diva was curled on his lap, clutching his shirt while Finn had his arms tight around her as if she'd disappear.

"Aww..." Carole cooed. Puck made a gagging noise with his mouth in which Burt laughed at.

"Ugh. Let's all go to bed before I throw up Berry's banana bread." Standing up, Puck took a picture of the couple before smirking and retreating up the stairs, Kurt following.

Walking slowly towards the two, Carole adjusted the blanket on them, kissing their foreheads before walking to her room with Burt.

* * *

The first thing he noticed was the sunlight streaming from the window across from him. Squinting his eyes, Finn looked down, spotting a head of brunette hair laying against his chest.

_Rachel.  
_  
A rush of what happened the day before filled his mind and he caught himself grinning like a lovesick fool. The kiss, the food fight, grocery shopping, all of those events from yesterday enlightened something in him, he realizes it now. He's falling for her, _hard_, and he doesn't know how to slow it down before he ends up landing on his face. Chuckling when she tugged his shirt lightly as she wiggled in his lap, Finn gently ran a hand through her hair, craning his neck down to smell the wonderful scent of cucumber melon shampoo. Glancing at the clock on the cable box, he noticed the time was eight o'clock. He smiled even wider.

"Rach," He gently shook the girl. "Rach, it's Christmas. You've got to wake up."

"Mmm, daddy can I have vegan pancakes for breakfast?" He chuckled at her response as he watched her pick her head off his chest and rub her eyes.

"Now, what is this about pancakes you were talking about?" He teased. She just gave him a confused look which made him laugh even louder.

"Huh?"

"Nothing." He shook his head and looked around the room. "Uh...I guess we fell asleep here."

Nodding, she says in a husky tone, "Yeah."

Awkward silence filled the air for a moment before Rachel's mood brightened abruptly, turning around to look at him excitedly.

"Finn, it's Christmas!" He laughs at her reaction before nodding and gently placing her off his lap. Blush engulfs her cheeks.

"Why don't we wake up the others, eh? They won't know what hit him." He grinned mischievously and wiggled his eyebrows comically. "You in?"

She looked unsure and wrung her hands. "I don't know. I wouldn't want to be interrupted if I were asleep." Nodding in understanding, he said, "You're right."

"Why don't we watch the rest of the movie we didn't finish last night and wait for them to wake up." Giving her a lopsided smile, he nodded and reached for the DVD player, resuming the film. Two Minutes into watching, Rachel giggled. Quirking an eyebrow and grinning, the people greeter looked at her.

"What's so funny, soldier?"

"This is probably the first time I've seen you up this early without complaining."

Sighing and shaking his head, he agreed which made her giggle more.

"You're right. I don't know, I just always loved Christmas. Now, I don't know if it's just the decorations, music or family time, but this holiday's always been my favorite. And now that I've got my family back," he shrugged. "It just makes it even better, you know?" She nodded at his explanation.

"Well, I am honored to share this wondrous time with you." He grinned at her, before wrapping his arm around her shoulder, pulling her close and kissing her head.

"I wouldn't have it any other way." He whispered, surprising her. Turning back towards the movie, both young adults tried to ignore the frantic beating if their hearts after that admission.

* * *

"I mean, I don't even know how they got it messed up! I precisely ordered Blaine the blue bow tie with red piping, not a red bow tie with blue piping!" Kurt huffed as he crossed his arms at the dining room table.

Puck rolled his eyes and raised his hand. "Is anyone else zoned out by this conversation?" He looked at Kurt. "No offense Petunia."

"So Kurt," Rachel sighed, her eyebrows raised. "you and Blaine have gotten pretty close lately." A round of oohs circled around the table...well...for the exception of Burt.

"I don't like this guy."

"You don't _know_ him," Kurt scoffed at his father.

He shrugged. "I don't have to meet him to know that I don't like him, you know."

The fashion icon rolled his eyes. "Whatever."

"What's so amazing is that almost everyone at work is dating each other." Rachel continued, beaming. "Just think about it, Puck and Quinn, Santana and Brittany, Artie and Tina, Kurt and Blaine-"

"Blaine and I aren't dating," Kurt protested.

"And Quinn and I aren't together yet." Puck retorted.

Carole rose her eyebrows. _"Yet?"_

"And It wouldn't matter anyways." Kurt dismissed. "Just because a few of us may have been on at least one date with each other doesn't mean-"

"Wait, you went on a date with the guy?!" Burt's face started turning red. Kurt sighed frustratingly and turned to glare at the two across from him, hissing, "See what you've guys done now?"

"Plus, the last time I checked, the only ones getting disgustingly close were you too." Puck gestured between Finn and Rachel. "The kiss in the kitchen? Yeah, I know all about that!" Finn and Rachel's faces turned crimson, both of their mouths agape.

"Dude you are so out of line!"

"Takes one to know one." He retorted back. Kurt snickered from beside him.

"Alright guys, cut it out." Burt chided. "It doesn't matter who's dating who and if you guys are, I'm pretty sure you would tell us. Now, we need you guys to listen because Carole and I have an announcement to make." Glancing at his girlfriend, he gave her a nod to continue.

"Well..." She looked up from her lap and addressed the group. "...you guys know how Burt and I have gotten close, right?"

"Not until last visit." Finn grumbled, biting into his bacon. The giant let out an "Ow!" before looking at an "innocent" Rachel who looked at his mom expectantly.

"Anyways, I'm just gonna cut to the chase." She pulled her hands off her lap and slammed the left one slightly on the table, the other hand displayed in front of the others as she beamed. "He proposed! He proposed!"

_"WHAT?!"_ Kurt and Finn abruptly stood from the table, pushing their chairs away.

"Guys, I'm pretty sure she meant what she just said. Look." Puck pointed from his seat at the small piece of jewelry wrapped around the ecstatic mother's ring finger.

Kneeling in, Rachel's eyes widened when she spotted just that on the lady's finger.

"Guys, sit down so we can explain, please..." Burt motioned them to sit and once they did, he cleared his throat. "So, I think you all noticed that I'm not really a romantic, but this time, I decided to do something special. So I took her to the tire shop, where we first met, and I was all dressed in a tux-"

"-that could've gotten _dirty_?!" Kurt screeched.

"As I was saying..." Burt continued giving a pointed look to his son, "...I took her to the shop where the older cars were located." Reaching next to him, Burt grabbed Carole's hand as the shared a small smile. "And I grabbed her hand and said, _'Usually when I fix anything car related, whether it's a muffler, oil or tire change, I fail to realize the significance of it, what it really means. Life's a ride, that's for sure. You hit bumps on the road, potholes, stop lights, and turns. The road is believed to be a maze, really. But there's one thing out of this sick mind twisted road that never changes. The car that travels_." He looked straight into her eyes and never lost contact as he said, "_I'm willing to go on that journey with you. Yes, they'll be times when you need to stop and get things fixed at the Tire shop, and yes, they'll be times that some dents and damages can't be fixed. But I want to grow old with her. My motto is 'you'll never know how good something is until you try'. Just like these worn out, decrepit vehicles, I'm willing to go on with you, and stay that way, until the day I die.'_ After that I got in one knee and asked her. It still hasn't sunk in that she said yes. But I'm so glad that she did." He reached over and kissed Carole's now damp cheek, sniffles heard throughout the the room as Kurt and Rachel also tried to wipe their tears at his beautiful speech.

Finn could feel his eye twitching. It's something he noticed that happens when he's tense. His mom's getting married..._again_. He's gonna have a new step-father. Wait, then that means...

"Kurt's gonna be my step-brother?!" His voice cracks abnormally which makes him sound crazy. As if Kurt realizes it too, his eyes widen.

"Oh my _god_."

"I know this is a big change, guys," Burt says finally. "But I'm willing to work until things ar-"

"We've got to start planning now!" The Walmart clothing specialist stood up from his seat.

"We've got to look over venues, bridal dresses, invitations-" he gasped, beaming at his future step-mother. "Oh Carole we're gonna have a blast planning this wedding!" Reaching down to hug her, Rachel soon gets up from her seat and embraces the older lady as well, both if them talking animatedly about the proposal and other stuff. Finn can't believe it; he's frozen still.

"Honey?" He looks at his mom who smiles at him, her eyes sparkling. "C'mon, be happy for me."

"I'm am mom," he gives her a semi-convincing smile before dropping it as soon as she turns back towards Kurt, who's already looking up bridal magazine orders in his phone.

To be honest, he doesn't know what to feel.

* * *

"Ooh! Kurt how did you know I have a whole collection!" Rachel squeals as she pulls out this old boxing glove that looks like it's been through hell and back.

Kurt smiles, "Oh, something just told me you were that kind of fan girl. I love Barbra in "The Main Event"." He winked. "When I gave Blaine the entire collection of the Star Wars comics, he practically did a set of round offs on the sidewalk of my apartment."

"Rachel, honey thank you for the knitting set. It was just what I needed," the mother gushed. Rachel beamed.

"And thanks for the tool set, Rachel. It was just what I needed," Burt added.

"You're welcome. Both of you." She says, pulling a strand of hair behind her ear.

"Okay, my turn again." Carole ripped her present open eagerly as a full set of form fitting clothes lay on her lap. She rose an eyebrow and looked at the boy across from her.

"Kurt?"

"You got it sweetheart." He winked. As Carole got up and kissed him on the cheek gratefully, Finn rubbed his hands together and reached for the closest gift of his. Opening it up as fast as he can, he finds two wooden drumsticks. He frowned.

"What the..."

Rachel leaned into his side and whispered, "read the side of it." Doing just that, Finn found his name embedded in the red sticks, which confused him even more. It wasn't until Rachel handed him her phone and showed a picture of a all-so-familiar instrument in his apartment that he understood. He sucked in a breath, slowly turning his head to look at the smiling brunette.

He pointed to himself, saying, "I-Is this mine?" She nodded eagerly. Intense feelings swirled inside of his head, the corners of his eyes tearing up.

"Well, what is it?" Kurt asks abruptly. Silently, Rachel hands him the phone, and once he see's the picture, he smiles.

"Oh, what a wonderful gi-" He doesn't get to finish, since Finn's already stood up from the couch, making his way up the stairs.

* * *

'_Knock, knock.'_

"Come in." The door creaks open as the giant tried his best to wipe at his tears quickly.

"Hey," she says softly, sitting next to him at the side of his bed. He sighs, playing with the drumsticks that were placed in his lap.

"What happened down there?" She finally asks. "Di- Did I do something wrong?" He shook his head quickly at this, looking up at her for good measure. That's when she notices his bloodshot eyes and red nose.

"No, uh..." He rubs his hands on his pants before looking up at her directly. "Rachel, remember when I told you that I wanted to be a music teacher? To teach kids and stuff?" Frowning, she nodded.

"Yeah."

"Well, though I knew how to play the drums, I never actually owned the instrument."

She stared at him blankly. "What?" He sighed and looked down at his lap again.

"When I was seven, I started um, having a interest for the drums. I always wanted one, but my mom couldn't afford it, so on the way home from school, I would always pass this music shop. The owner, Rodney, caught me eyeing one of his drum sets one year and offered me lessons, for free." He sniffled, "From then on, I would always go to his store and practice, since I knew I would be able to anywhere else. Then by my tenth birthday, he gave it to me, free of charge." He smiled slightly, "I was so happy. He was such a cool guy and a role model to me," Then it faltered, "When I was thirteen, Rodney passed away from a heart attack. Ever since then, I was lost. The store closed down and soon became abandoned, leaving my drums and dreams behind with it.

What I'm saying Rachel is that...you buying me a drum set, my _first real drum set_, is most _nicest _thing anyone has ever done for me." His eyes filled up slowly with tears as he tried to speak through his wavering voice, "I thought that I'd never get to play again, but somehow, you made it possible for me to do so." A tear slips down how cheek, but he ignores it, pulling her into a bone crushing hug, rocking back and forth a little bit. Rachel bit her lip as tears also filled her eyes.

"Thank you," He chokes into her shoulder. After a moment of hugging, they pulled apart, Finn suddenly peppering kisses on her nose, cheek and forehead before pulling back, both of them wiping their cheeks.

The brunette shook her head, "No, thank you. Because now I know how truly sentimental a present can be." She reached up and kissed his cheek, both of them sniffling.

The people greeter laughed awkwardly and cleared his throat, "Okay, emotions aside, I guess I can give you your present now." Rachel giggled at his comical expression as he eagerly stood up from his bed and walked towards his closet, returning with a box neatly wrapped with a silver bow on it. Sitting down, he handed it to her, his other hand rubbing the back of his neck sheepishly.

"Uh, I know you like, love to stay organized, so I uh, got you a-"

"Planner!" She finished. It was a golden colored planner that held all of the dates for the next year, gold star stickers added with a motivational quote for each week.

"How the hell did you get this?!" She asked, "I've been looking for this for years!" She opened the notebook and marveled at the organized printing. Finn blushed.

"Um, there's something else at the bottom of the box," he exclaims quietly. Frowning, Rachel reached into the box and found a smaller one with the same design.

Finn gently takes the box from her small shaking hands, "I thought this would be a little better than some lame notebook, "opening it delicately, the Walmart employee revealed a golden star necklace. Rachel gasps.

There's small studded diamonds traced around the piece of jewelry, displaying its significance. She cursed herself quietly for her eyes tearing up for the second time that night.

Unclasping the necklace, he motioned her to turn around, "I know you like working at Walmart and you claim that there's no other place you'd rather be working at, but let's face it Rachel, you're better than all of all of us," she turned back around when he finished. He grabbed her hands and stared into her eyes, "You're a star, and you need to shine, don't forget that." Looking into his chestnut eyes, Rachel found trust, honesty, and almost admiration in them. Acting on instinct, she reached up and pressed her lips against his.

Taken aback, Finn sat still for a second before relaxing and deepening the this really happening? Was she dreaming? She didn't think she was when she wrapped her arms around her neck and felt the small curls of his dark brown hair between her fingers.

Gently pushing her back, they laid down on the bed, Finn now above her. While neither of them broke their kiss, Finn took the time to just savor the moment, and her. Nothing in the world could make him as happy as he was.

Breaking off for a second, Finn moved down to her neck, placing small kisses there, the ticklish feeling causing Rachel to giggle.

"Finn," she husks out.

"Hmm?"

"Can we-can we stop for a second?" Nodding into her neck, she swears she hears him mumble, _"sure baby"_ in the softest tone ever. Blushing at what they did, she's left confused as gets off of her and lays on his back beside her.

* * *

"Favorite celebrity?"

"Barbra Streisand. You?"

"Ben Affleck." Rachel sat up slightly in surprise and gaped at him.

"Really?" They were still laying on Finn's bed Rachel laying on top of him, her head on his chest. Their hands stayed intertwined as they played twenty questions, but to be honest, to Rachel it sounded more like thirty questions.

Finn nodded, "Yeah. It's too bad that him and Jennifer Garner broke up."

"Yeah," she relaxed and lay back down, "they were a good couple." She shivered when she felt his other hand rub circles on her back.

After a few questions and jokes between the two on the bed, sleepiness engulfed them.

Rachel yawns, "I'm about to fall asleep any second now." Finn looks down at her. "Me too," he agrees. A moment of silence remains in the room, with the exception of the clock on Finn's wall that was ticking rhythmically.

"Hey Rach?"

"Yeah?" She slurs.

Finn gulps and runs his hand through her hair, "w-what are we exactly? I mean, I really like you, and I don't know if you do either, and I-" a soft snore from below him stops his little confession. Looking down, he spots Rachel passed out, small puffs of air escaping her small mouth. Chuckling, Finn kisses her head and sighs.

"What in the world am I going to do with you, Rachel Berry?"

* * *

**There that was a long chapter! It's a gift from me to you, since I haven't updated in awhile.**

**There's a little Finchel there, but the next chapter will be centered on Walmart, and the rest of the staff's doings, since I feel like I left them out for some reason. Don't worry, they will be mentioned though!**

**Again, keep up with the reviews! They only make me a better writer!**  
**Love ya!**

**~Vikki3775**


	14. New Year's Surprises

**Hey guys! I am so happy with the reviews I got with the last chapter, and the recent chapter I posted for Talking to the moon. You guys have know idea how much your comments and like mean to me.**

**Emotions aside, here's another chapter of save money live better!**

**~Vikki3775**

* * *

"Alright, alright, I'm glad everyone had a great holiday break," Will said over the collective murmurs between the Walmart workers, "but we've got to get back to working since we don't get New Years off." Everyone quieted down to listen to what he had to say. Turning around, he wrote one word on the board: Shifts.

"I need you guys to decide when you are going to be available to work, because as soon as the fireworks and decorations are delivered here, people are going to want to buy as much as they can."

"I know you guys want to celebrate by yourselves, so you guys will have New Year's Eve off." The staff hooted and started talking again about their plans. Will clapped his hands again.

"That's all I had to tell you guys. You can get back to work," as everyone stood up and started to leave, Will said, "Finn, can I talk to you please?"

He nodded and frowned, "Uh, yeah, sure." Turning around quickly, he shrugged at Rachel before walking towards his boss.

"So, what is it?"

"Uh, I don't know how to tell you this..." He sighed and rubbed his pants with his hands.

"It's alright Will, just let it out." Finn encouraged.

"I'm sorry, Finn, but I'm gonna need you to stay New Year's Eve and watch the store." The people greeter just stared at him blankly so he decided to continue, "We've been running out of security staff lately and our undercover police won't be available on that day because of some new case they're covering. I'm sorry." He pats the disappointed guy on the back. "I know you wanted to spend it with your girlfriend."

Finn blinked, and then frowned at the curly haired man. "Wait, _girlfriend_? What girlfriend?"

Will tilted his head to the side, frowning also, "You're dating Rachel, right? I just thought you guys would be celebrating together this year..."

"No, no, we're not dating. I can assure you that," he chuckles, still slightly stunned by the information given to him.

Will nodded. "Okay. Well, Friday night I'll need you here by four o'clock to start you shift. Since you'll be doing extra work, I'll give you a raise, okay?" Nodding, Finn clapped his hand together with his boss.

"I believe in you," he says, before turning around and leaving the room. Finn remains stupefied, standing in place as he repeats the term.

"Girlfriend? What the hell?" Shaking his head, he treads out of the room, making his way towards his work place.

* * *

"Man, that sucks, dude." Puck shakes his head, and takes a big sloppy bite of his normal order at the diner: a double bacon cheeseburger supreme.

"Isn't there a way you can call off?" Sam asks, taking a sip from his drink. The giant sighs and shakes his head.

"No."

"Well, maybe we can do something together afterwards," Mercedes suggests from the end of the diner table.

"Y-Yeah," Tina agrees.

"One veggie burger with a side of salsa and chips," Blaine waltzes over and places the plate in front of the brunette who smiles at him thankfully. Blaine grabs a seat from a nearby empty table and joins the group. He looks at Finn, "Hey, I heard you won't make it to the New Year's Eve party, man. That must suck."

Finn slumps his shoulders, "Yeah. Oh, and Will said the weirdest thing today. Apparently he thought I had plans with a girlfriend, or something." Finding this funny, he laughed, before realizing no one else was.

Santana snapped her head up from her smoothie, "Wait, so you're not dating Yentl?" This caught the distraught diva's attention and she shook her head 'no' along with Finn.

"What? No!"

"Where did you guys get that idea anyways?" Finn asks.

"I got it from Britts," she says.

"Mercedes." The dazed blond adds, playing with her hot chocolate.

Finn looks at the African American girl. "Sam," she points at the blonde.

"I got it from Mike."

"Tina," Mike says.

"A-Artie," the pharmacist exclaims.

"And I got it from Puck," he frowns and contemplates his answer, "or was it Kurt?"

The hazel eyed man gaped at the table. "What the hell?!"

Rachel laughed from across from him, "Guys, we're not dating."

"Oh please," Kurt waves his hand dismissively and smirks, "you guys barely left each other's side last week."

"And we still have that picture from movie night." Puck adds. Finn and Rachel frown.

"What picture?" They ask incredulously.

"At Carole's house. You guys were all snuggly and close, and ugh, it was so gross!" The mohawked employee cringed at the memory.

"Uh, unlike you, everyone else in the house thought it was absolutely adorable," retorted Kurt. "Not all of us has commitment issues." Looking at the two, he smiles remorsefully at them. "Guys, I'm sorry. I speak for Puck and I when I say that we didn't mean to spread the message on," he turned to glare at his co-worker. "At least I didn't."

"It's okay guys." Finn says, smiling slightly through the awkwardness.

"Anyways, I would like to make an announcement- well we would like to make an announcement." Artie turned to look at Tina and smiled lovingly at her, a smile in which she also returned. "Tina and I are dating. Well, we've been dating for a month, but we decided to let you guys know-"

Santana scoffs. "Oh please, Wheels. We all knew from the very moment you rolled into Walmart that you had a thing for her." She smiled anyways as everyone else nodded in agreement.

"Ooh, ooh! Me next!" Brittany rose her hand eagerly before speaking, "So, Lord Tubbington and I cordially invite you guys to our New Year's Eve extravaganza! It's Saturday night, of course, and it's on the roof of this building. We figured since it gives the best view of Times Square, it would allow us to count down together. But don't worry Rachel, there are step stools." She clarified to Rachel's embarrassment.

"Yes!" Puck high fives with Mike and grins, "Brittany's parties are fucking awesome! Beer, babes, more beer..."

"Wait, I thought you were trying to get Quinn to date you?" Mercedes asks. His smile falters.

"Oh. Yeah, I forget about that."

As everyone discussed excitedly about their party plans, Finn noticed Rachel's rather quiet demeanor, something that's very unusual from her. Standing up, he walks over to her side and sits next to her. Leaning his mouth towards her ear, he whispers, "Hey, can I talk to you for a second?" Looking up at him, she nodded slowly as both of them excused themselves from the diner table, walking outside to get some fresh air, both of them leaned against the brick structure of the building.

A moment of silence takes place as both of them watch as cars drive by on the busy nyc streets.

Finn sighs, still looking forward, "Alright soldier, what's eatin' ya up?" He turns to look at her as she looks down at the ground and plays with a pebble nearby her foot.

"Nothing," she says softly. He scoffs.

"'Nothing?' I think you know better than to lie to me, babe." Looking up at him, her expression appears shocked at the nickname before she answers.

"I just...I really wanted to spend New Year's with you." Giving her a soft smile, he envelopes her in his arms and kisses her head.

"Me too Rach, me too. Hey," Pulling her head back from his chest, he finds tears welling in her eyes. He frowns.

"This seems a lot more than just some holiday celebration, or lack of. What's going on?" He raises an eyebrow when she opens her mouth before closing it again.

"I'm scared," she whispers.

"About what?" He asks softly, running a hand through her hair. She sighs and pulls back from him, her expression so sad.

"I'm sitting here around all of these people who have things going for them. They have each other. Blaine and Kurt's dating, Tina and Artie. Even Santana and Brittany, I think. I mean, let's face it, I'm twenty four. No offense, but I'd really like to go out and do something with my life, you know? Go to college, perform on broadway, get married, have kids..." She didn't understand why she turned beet red when she said the last two, but based on the look on Finn's face, she could tell that he understood.

Finn tilts his head to the side, his eyes swirling with what looks like slight longing, "I know exactly what you mean. And you know, when another year closes off and a new one begins, it can make anyone nostalgic; even me. But, hey," he gently lifts her chin with his finger and grins at her.

"Just because you're working at Walmart now doesn't mean you can't look for other opportunities. Didn't you tell me that being on broadway doesn't require a degree in the arts?"

She nods, "yeah."

Smiling at her, he says, "See? I bet if you audition for enough acting rolls you're bound to get something; even if it's one of the villager roles on some lame off-broadway production." Giggling, Rachel smiles and shakes her head, looking down at the ground for a second.

Finn pulls her back in his arms and looks into her beautiful brown eyes, "And about marriage and having kids? Rach, there's no doubt in my mind that someone will be lucky enough to call you their wife. I know I would." She tenses up in his arms as his statement floats in the air.

"How about this," he continues, "by the time we're both twenty nine and more mature; if we don't have children or a husband or wife at that time, we can settle for each other. That sound good?" He gives her a hopeful look which gets her smiling and blushing.

"Yeah," she wraps her arms tighter around his waist, burying her head in his black shirt. "That sounds like a good Idea."

"Good," he grins. For about two minutes they just stood there locked in an embrace, watching the active city around them.

"Finn?"

"Hmm?" He hums into her hair.

"I really wanted to spend New Year's with you."

He chuckles slightly. "So did I. But we've always got next year, right? Plus you've got the others to hang out with."

She sighs and looks up at him under her bangs and pouts, "I guess so." Finn found her look so adorable, he reached down and pecked her nose, holding it there for longer than normal.

"A-And what about you?" She stutters anxiously, pulling back. He frowns at her.

"What about me?"

"You're going to be in that store all night! What if something happens to you? I couldn't bear-"

"Nothing'll happen to me, okay? I promise." Grabbing her small hands, he squeezes them. Reluctantly, she nods.

_If only his words could reassure himself._

* * *

"Alright, streamers? Check. Alcohol? Check. Fondue? Check. Sparkling cider, since Rachel refuses to drink? Check." Brittany checks the last box on her list with a red crayon, before looking around the room to make sure things are in order. Santana walks up from behind her and softly massages her shoulders, smiling when he sees them relax.

"Relax, Britt. The party's gonna be fine. When was the last time you've ever had a flop of a party?" Pursing her lips, she frowns and turns towards her.

"Well, there was that one time, where the party got all crazy, and I ended up getting my pants pulled down.."

"That was on the middle of a celebration," Santana interjects, "but still, your parties have always been a hit," she smiles. "So sit back and relax. Things'll turn out amazing in the end; like it always does." She smiles when the blonde's shoulders relax under her touch.

"Okay," she nods.

_"Meowwww"_ turning around sharply, Brittany gasps. "Lord Tubbington! How many times have I told you not to use the keg!" Stomping over to the cat, she leaves Santana behind, who sighs in defeat with a slight grin on her face. At least she tried.

From the edge of the apartment buildings roof, Rachel stood and looked out into the city as she talked to her best friend. This was the second time she called him, the first time before he made it to work.

"Are you sure you're alright?" She asks through the phone. "I can stay with you until your shifts over or somethi-"

_"Rach, Rachel I'm fine," Finn chuckles walking from the staff room. "Just worry about having fun, okay? I'll be done with my shift as soon as possible. And from where I'm looking, it seems like there aren't many customers here after all." He took a glance around the store.  
_  
"O-Okay. W-Well be safe, alright? And call me when you're shifts over. You never know what crazy stuff could happen on New Year's Eve."  
_  
"Okay, mom." He mocks, smiling. "But have fun, socialize, okay?" She nods, though she knows he can't see her.  
_  
"Okay."

_"Oh hey! Rach, Darwin is here! See, I won't be alone after all." The giant shares a bro hug with the man.  
_  
"Okay Finn," she giggles, shaking her head. From a distance she hears someone call Finn's name.

"Alright, I gotta go. I'll talk to you later, okay?"

"Okay."

_"Bye bab-Rachel."  
_  
"Bye," she laughs at his slip up and hangs up. Sighing, the customer service employee looks out into the streets and stares in awe at the amount of activity visible. It almost makes her forget about Finn being gone. Almost.

"Hey, why the sad face, mama?" Mercedes walks up next to her and pulls her into a side hug, rubbing her shoulders in comfort.

She turned to look at her and gave a small smile. "I just wanted to celebrate the holiday with Finn. N-Not that you guys aren't great company, but I'd also like to spend it with my best friend, and-"

"I get it, Rachel." She cuts off, laughing. "You don't have to explain anything. But you need to loosen up! Come on, socialize! I found a few guys looking your way." She wiggled her eyebrows suggestively. Rachel laughed and shook her head.

"I don't think I'm up for a lay, Mercedes. I don't really do that kind of thing."

"Well, why don't I get you a drink...a real drink that doesn't involve anything virgin." She corrects when the brunette opens her mouth to rebuttal. Sighing, Rachel relents.

"Good." Smiling triumphantly, she says, "Why don't you go hang with the girls and Kurt? I bet they'd love your company." Turning her head, she catches the gaze of her coworkers who call her name and gesture her towards them with friendly smiles. Smiling slightly back, Rachel does just that. Maybe friends is what she needs right now.

* * *

"Oh my god, how the hell do you do this everyday?" Finn turns exasperatedly towards the older people greeter who smirks back.

"After thirty years of experience, you get used to it." Darwin shrugs as the giant gapes at him, his eyebrows raised.

"Th-Thirty years?" He nods and itches his grey head.

"Yep. Ever since I was twenty years old." Finn turned his head towards the entrance with wide eyes.

"Wow."

"Now, don't get me wrong. Of course I wanted to go to college have a career, all of that stuff. But I never got the chance. I let other things get in the way instead." A flash of nostalgia and longing passes his face before Darwin looks at his friend with intensity. "I've seen you're talent, kid. You're good; you have so much potential." He shakes his head, "Don't end up like me, man. There's so many opportunities out there. Make the best of it, because if you don't, you'll be looking back on life just like me." Finn frowned to himself; processing this.

"I gotta go take a leak. I'll be right back." Patting his back, the fifty year old have him a firm nod. "Think about it, son." With that he walked away towards the bathrooms.

* * *

"Alright people! We're about to count down in two minutes so find your spots, find your make out partners, and get ready!" Slurred hoots and hollers responded back as the party goers continued to dance, drink, make out, and then drink again.

Rachel laughed at Kurt, Mercedes and Brittany as they dance to "single ladies" in which echoed through the speakers of the DJ she hired. The brunette could admit, she had some fun. Santana and Brittany finally convinced her to drink something alcoholic and she ended up drinking a Cosmo _twice. _

She wonders what Finn's doing right now. Is he alone? Is he tired? Safe? She continues to think this when Kurt drags her towards the edge of the roof, where everyone else was watching the ball start to drop from afar.

_**"Ten!"**_

* * *

Finn whistles and glances down at his watch. Finding that it's 11:59, he sighs dejectedly.

Rushed footsteps snap him out of his thoughts as he looks up. Two men covered in black clothing were trying to smuggle a case of electronics they collected towards the exit.

"Hey!" Finn yelled.

* * *

_**"Nine!"**_

Rachel smiled and looked around at all of the eager faces of her friends as they counted down. She watched as Blaine and Kurt, Artie and Tina and Santana and Brittany all clung together. She sighed. She wishes she had that.

_**"Eight!"**_

* * *

"Hey!" Running over to them as fast as he can, Finn did the only thing he could think of in that moment. Using his lucky left hand, he punched one of the thieves.

As he hit the ground, Finn turns and tried tackling the other suspect to the ground, but before he could...

_Bang!  
_  
_**"Seven!"**_

* * *

_**"Six...five...four!" **_Rachel laughed as Blaine and Kurt reached out to hold onto her. She can't believe how far she's come. Exactly this time last year, she had been packing up her dorm room in NYU due to insufficient funds for tuition. Now she's standing here with the most amazing people she could ever set her eyes on. But there was one person missing...Finn.

* * *

Everything was a blur; the events regressed to slow motion. Heaving hard, a sweat drew on Finn's pale forehead as he collapsed with a thud. Grasping at the wound, he gasped before completely blacking out.

The ringing of the burglar alarms sounded through the store as people rushed to call the police.

"Finn! Move it, goddammit, he's hurt!" Darwin pushed his way through and rushed towards Finn's side. He searched for a pulse in his neck.

"Did you guys catch them?" He said roughly to no one in particular.

"We caught the supplies before they took it, but we couldn't catch them," Suzie Pepper said, her voice wavering. She reached out and dialed her phone. "I'm calling Will right now."

* * *

_**"Three...two...one...HAPPY NEW YEAR!" **_Screams and sound of horns and other loud instruments sounded through the roof as everyone cheered. Grabbing a surprised Sam from the jacket, Mercedes placed her lips on his. Widening his eyes a bit, the blond boy stumbled back before relaxing and capturing her in his arms. Kurt and Blaine shared a small intimate kiss on their own time, smiling happily at each other.

Tina leaning down and pecked lips with Artie, them being in their own little world.

From the back part of the roof, Santana and Brittany pulled apart from their kiss, Santana looking around cautiously to see if anyone saw.

Rachel sighed. I guess she's alone again. But there's nowhere she's rather be. Just something in her mind told her that this year was going to be great.

Feeling a vibration in her pocket, she frowned at the unknown number when she pulled it out.

"Hello?" She answered. Her face suddenly paled, the phone almost dropping completely from her shaky hand as she listened to the speaker.

By the time she hung up the phone she stood there still; staring blankly at the device. She failed to notice when Kurt and Blaine reached out to kiss her cheeks, as they tried to include her in the celebration. Seeing Rachel's spooked expression, their smiles faltered.

"Rachel?" Blaine asked, touching her shoulder. "What's wrong?"

Shaking her head rapidly she didn't answer. Rachel turned around and rushed down the steps. Covering her mouth with her hands she tried to muffle her quiet keens but with no success…..

_**This isn't happening.…..**_

* * *

**I'm sorry guys! I know you all want to kill me, but hold your picket forks and knives! I'll see you for the next chapter. Please give me your thoughts and reviews, though. I really appreciate it! Love ya!**

**~Vikki3775**


	15. Be Okay

**Sup people! Here's the next chapter! Sorry for the delay. School's been a real **_**b*#$! **_**lately. Anyways, here's the next chapter!**

**~Vikki3775**

* * *

"Where is he?" Rachel rushed into the lobby, the rest of the Walmart staff hot on her heels. Before making it towards the rooms, a nurse stopped her.

"M'am, I can't let you pass, not unless you have a family member that's a patient in this wi-"

"I'm his wife, now _please let me go!_"She yelled, startling everyone in the emergency room. The nurse stared at her with wide eyes before adjusting her glasses and clearing her throat.

"U-Um, okay. W-Who is your husband?" She squeaked.

Rachel took a deep breath to calm down. "Finn Hudson."

Nodding she looks down at the clipboard. "Okay, so he just got out of surgery..."

"Surgery?" The brunette's eyes widened as she sunk all of this in.

"Yes, the wound was able to be fixed in as little as an hour."

"Please, just let me go see him," she chokes out through welled up eyes. The lady nodded with understanding eyes and leads the way.

Before she walks, she turns towards her friends and says, "I'll tell you what's going on, okay?" When they nod with worried eyes, she continues to follow the RN as she leads her to room 115.

Finn hissed slightly as he shifted on the bed, his other hand trying it's best to change to the sports channel on his tv.

"Finn?" Snapping his head towards Rachel, he gives her that lopsided smile she loves so much.

"What's goin' on, soldier?" With that she broke, rushing towards him with sobs escaping her mouth. Capturing her in a hug in the best that he could with one arm, Finn rubbed her back.

"I thought you were dead," she cried. "When Will called and told me what happened, I-"

"Shhh..." He silenced her muffled exclamation with a soothing circular motion on her back with his hand and a gentle kiss on the forehead. But Rachel was still a blubbering mess.

"Hey, hey..." He gently pulled her head off his chest with his right hand and cupped her face.

"I'm fine, baby. See?" He motioned to his body and smiled slightly. "I'm alive. They couldn't get rid of me that easy." He winked at her when he said this, which sprouted a slight smile on her face.

"See?" He says softly. "That's what I like to see. That beautiful smile of yours." Blushing under her drenched cheeks, she shook her head and buried her face into his shoulder, squeezing it slightly. Unfortunately, that was his bad one and Finn hissed slightly, in which which Rachel noticed. She jumped back with wide teary eyes.

"Finn, I'm sorry." He waved his right hand dismissively.

"You were worried. You have a right to be all huggy." Her sighed and ran a hand through his tousled hair, "Man, I should've just listened to you and not have gone to work today..."

"No, it's not your fault," Rachel shook her head. "I should've dragged you with me tonight. No excuses." The people greeter chuckled at her defiant look before frowning.

"Wait, how come you got to visit me? I thought visiting hours were over." Blushing deeply, the brown eyed girl wrung her hands nervously in her lap.

"Uh, I sort of told them that I was your wife..." She muttered so low. Finn smirked, his eyes twinkling with amusement.

"I'm sorry, what did you tell them? I couldn't quite hear what you said." He reached out to tickle her sides, smiling when she started giggling.

"Fine, fine, I told them I was your wife!" She laughed, blushing even harder.

"So you're my wife now, huh?" He smirks at her as she grins.

"Apparently so." A knock on the door stopped their conversation as a tall Asian man, about their age appeared with a doctor's coat on.

"Why, hello." He walked in the room and smiled, his clipboard tight in his grasp.

"Hey, Doctor Chang." Finn greets.

He sighed and looked down at his clipboard. "How are you feeling, Finn?"

"I'm good," the patient smiles slightly. Rachel gives him a pointed look in which he sighs, "Fine. I'm not good. My hand and shoulder hurts. really bad."

The doctor smiles knowingly. "I'd figured you'd say that. When you got shot, the bullet wound was two centimeters away from one of your subclavian arteries. If it were any closer, there could've been an enormous amount of blood escaping the wound."

"Wow..." Finn muttered. Rachel stared wide eyed at the hospital bed.

"I'll go get you some medicine," he said. Walking over to pat his back, he says, "We're glad you're okay, Finn."

Once he leaves the room, Rachel looks at Finn with a horrified countenance. "You got shot?!"

Finn frowned. "Yeah. I thought you knew that when Will told you..."

"No, he said you were attacked! I thought it was just a hand band o-or a stabbing at most. Not a gunshot!" She stood up and started pacing. "We've got to do something, we've got to tell someone and get them kill-"

"They already called the police and reported it. There was footage of me being shot by the shoplifters, so all they give to do is identify them and lock them up. There's nothing to worry about." Finn assured. He reached out his available hand and grinned. "C'mere." Pouting slightly, she complied. He grabbed her hand and squeezed it.

"I'm not going anywhere, okay? Those men will get the justice they deserve and I'll be back to work as soon as possible."

_"Not while we're around." _Finn and Rachel turned towards the room door and found Carole and Burt, who immediately rushed in the room, Carole coming towards him first.

"My baby," she whimpered kissing his face repeatedly.

"Mom, mom, I'm fine," the people greeter said with a groan. She pulled back from him and frowned.

"You call this fine?! Finn, you were shot. This isn't something you could just push away like a minor issue. This is serious!"

"That's exactly what I said," Rachel agreed, nodding next to his mother.

Burt walked towards them from the corner of the room. "I just got off the phone with the lawyers. A few congress buddies of mine recommended one of the best lawyers in New York City."

"Oh thank god," Carole muttered, relieved.

"And if that doesn't work, I'm more than positive that my papa can help out also." The brunette offered.

Carole's eyes widened, "Ooh that would be a good ide-"

"Okay, can everyone just stop?!" The tree adults turned at him, startled at his outburst. "S-Stop the phone calls, quit the lawyer talk-"

"Well what do you expect us to?" Rachel asked incredulously. "Why don't you want us to call?"

"Because you guys are acting crazy, that's why!" He pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed.

"Uh..." Rachel turned to look at the older couple. "...can Finn and I have a moment alone, Mrs. Hudson? Mr. Hummel?" Nodding hesitantly they agreed, leaving the room silently. Rachel kneels in front of Finn.

"Finn." The giant let out a grunt in response. "Are you really not going to tell me what this really is about?"

Finn sighed and looked at her. "I don't want everyone to worry." Rachel scoffs. "I mean, it was my fault. If I had just said no to Will o-or gotten help, the-"

"Then what? Finn, there wasn't any security or police around. That's why Will wanted you to work tonight. Yes, It probably would've been a good idea to decline your shift, but you were only doing the right thing." "You just got shot because of it." She frowned to herself and sighed. " Look, Finn," She looks up at him. "It was not your fault. And I don't want hear anymore of that coming from you, okay?" Finn sighed and nodded.

"Okay." She smiled and stood up.

"Good. Now, I'm going to tell the rest that you're okay and I'll be right back."

"Promise?" He pouted. Giggling, she nodded and leaned to kiss his cheek.

"Promise." Rachel turned and left the room.

* * *

"So he's fine?" Puck asked, voicing what everyone else was thinking.

Rachel nods and smiles. "Yes." Everyone exhaled in relief, Will running his hand through his curly hair.

"We will be contacting a lawyer, though." Burt said to the group.

Carole added, "And Finn will be staying home do a few weeks. Doctor's orders."

"So he's alright, dad?" Mike turned towards Doctor Chang. The man smiled and patted his son's back.

"Yes, he's alright."

Santana sighed and said, "Boy, has this new year gone off with a bang." Kurt and Mercedes nudged her and shook their heads at her insincere comment.

"Really, Santana?" Kurt rolled his eyes.

"Look, I'm just trying to lighten the mood, that's all." She rose her hands defensively.

"Well, I'm gonna head on home." Artie rolled up to Carole and Burt, hugging the woman and shaking the man's hand. "Please tell me if anything happens? I'll be back tomorrow."

Puck yawned, stretching his arms above his head. "Yeah, I think it's time for me to hit the sack too." He kissed Carole of the cheek and patted Burt's shoulder. Turning towards Rachel, he says, "Take care of Hud, alright munchkin?" Rachel nodded and smiled.

"You can count on me, Noah." He nodded and ruffled her head.

"Good." As everyone gave their goodbyes and promises to come back and visit the next day, Kurt, Rachel, and Burt and Carole were the only ones left standing in the waiting room.

"Carole, you look exhausted. You too Burt; Kurt. You guys should rest."

The mother shook her head stubbornly. "Nope. I'm not going anywhere. I'm staying right here-"

Burt yawned, "Honey, you know you're tired, I am too. C'mon, let's just crash at Finn's place, and visit him tomorrow. He'll still be here."

"You don't know that." She snapped crossing her arms.

"Carole, I'm pretty sure he's still going to be here. He's got Rachel. Doctor Chang won't let him out of his sight. We're all tired, so there's no point in fighting it." Kurt reached over to rub her tense shoulders slightly. "I'll even drive you guys to Finn's place. How does that sound?" Carole frowned.

"That sounds-"

"-great, son. Thanks," standing up, the congressman gently pulls her out of her seat. "We'll see you tomorrow, Rachel. Tell us if anything happens and we'll be right over."

"Okay." She smiled and hugged all three of them. "Now, get some rest, alright? I've got this covered."

"Of course you do," Kurt muttered sarcastically. Rachel shook her head and nudged them, watching as they left the building.

* * *

"Rach, you awake?" It was dark in the room, mainly because it was nearly three in the morning. Sleep is definitely what Finn needed right now and wants to get it, desperately. He just..._can't._

"Hmm?" Rachel turned over on the couch and stared dazedly at him.

"I-I can't sleep. I-Is there a way you could, um, sleep next..." He didn't even have to finish before he felt the bed sink slightly and smelt her green apple scented shampoo. Mmm..._apples_**.**

"Why didn't you just ask?" She scooted closer to him on the side that wasn't injured and tried snuggling up to him.

"I thought you were asleep," he exclaimed. She scoffed.

"On that mattress? No way."

"Well, why didn't you tell me you felt uncomfortable? I could've let you sleep here with me." He tried to locate her face in the dark.

"Same as you; I thought you were asleep." He chucked, and located her forehead, kissing it.

"I guess we think alike," he whispered.

She yawned, "yeah, I guess."

"Hey, you can get some sleep, you know. You don't have to stay up just for me."

"I want to." She wrapped her arms around his torso and kissed his neck. "You're my little snuggle buddy." He laughs at her adorableness, trying not to seem so affected by her lips being placed on his neck.

"Alright, then." After a moment of silence, he asks, "Hey, Rach?"

"Yeah?"

He gulped "Do you think what happened to me was a sign?" He feels her lift her head from his chest.

"A sign of what?" She asks.

"I don't know," he says. "Maybe being shot at Walmart is telling me that I...shouldn't be at Walmart anymore."

She gapes at him. "Where did all of this come from?"

"You know how some situations turn out for the good and the saying,_"some things happen for a reason" _become true?" She nods. "Well, maybe that's the case for me. Maybe I could work at, like a Home Depot or a Cinema theater."

She giggles, "Finn you know you're the most clumsiest person I know, and you'd probably end up eating all of the _Sour Patch Kids _at the concession stand."

"I'm just thinking," he laughs along with her. "You know what? Forget I said anything." He feigns a yawn. "I'm about to go to bed. Night, Rach." He kissed her head.

"Goodnight," whispered Rachel. Snuggling further in his arms she drifts off to sleep, soft snores escaping her small mouth. If only sleep was easy for him. If it was, then maybe his mind wouldn't have been searching for other job opportunities right now.

* * *

**There you go! Just a short chapter, but I didn't any to leave you guys hanging for too long. You know I'd never kill off fiches before they'd even began!**

**P.S: if I haven't said this already, I thank all who has commented and helped me along the way with my writing of 'how to save a life'. When I return a few months later with a sequel, you guys won't know what hit you! Love ya guys!**

**~Vikki3775**


	16. When Everything Goes Downhill

**Why, hello people! Happy New Years! I hope everyone had a nice holiday. I know I did! Mainly, because my birthday is right after new years and I got more stuff than usual.**

**I am so sorry I haven't been updating. Do you guys ever experience a period where everything is just so jumbled up that you can barely complete your daily goals? Well that was me ALL BREAK.**

**Anyways, I hope you guys enjoy this next chapter! Also, I'm gonna post one last chapter for This Zany Heart of Mine, though I think I told you guys that already. Enjoy!**

**PS: you guys probably know this already but the song excerpt is "I'll stand by you" by  
the Pretenders.**

**~Vikki3775**

* * *

"I-I was in the bathroom….I left Finn there because I didn't think something bad would happen, you know?" The police officer nodded in understanding as he wrote all of this down on a notepad. As Darwin continued to explain the incident from his point of view, Will sighed and walked away. There's only so many reports he could listen to. Hearing commotion coming from the entrance of the superstore, Will walked over, sighing exasperatedly when he saw a line of news reporters lining up, waiting for him eagerly outside of the door.

"Mr. Schuster how is your current employee recovering-"

"Some employees feel unsafe with the lack of security in the store. How will you fix the proble-"

"Mr. Schuster, is it true that your former employee Quinn Fabray has resigned from the customer service position due to being neglected and 'bullied' by her co-workers-"

"Woah, woah, woah," The thirty year old boss waved his hand to cut them off and frowned. He looked at one of the female reporters. "What did you just say?"

"I have proof in the paper that your employee Quinn Fabray has resigned from working at Walmart, due to an, "Unresolved quarrel with other co-workers pertaining the unfair treatment in weekly pay given to her by her boss," Will scoffed.

"And where did you find that?"

"In his resignation letter signed by Ms. Fabray herself." Reaching into her purse, she pulled out a folded piece of paper and handed it to him, turning on her camera soon after.

Will frowned as he read the resignation letter word for word. She even had her signature at the bottom.

"What the…." He muttered to himself.

"Alright ladies and gentlemen, it's time to go home.." Thankfully a few police officers stepped and escorted the reporters and journalists off of the premises. Nodding thankfully at one of the sheriffs he looked back downstairs the letter typed paper.

Something doesn't feel right, and he's gonna get to the bottom of this; starting with the _Sue's Sports printer"_ logo at the corner of the page.

* * *

"What the hell did you just do!" Will hissed as he entered the rather terrible woman's office.

Smirking, she turned around and feigned innocence. "Why, hello William. I knew I smelt your Asian cookery hair gel from far away."

"Stop playing games, Sue," he tossed the paper hastily towards her with disgust. "How could you? _W-When_?"

"The answer is now, and I didn't come to her, she came to me." She sat down in her desk chair and folded her arms.

He narrowed his eyes and scoffed, "Oh, don't give me that! You've been trying to close my store down for months, and it's only now that you've found an opportunity to do so."

She chuckled haughtily, "I didn't do anything this time, trust me. If I did want Quinn Fabray here working under my company I would've tried something a little more secret and deceiving, don't you think?"

He stared in disbelief at her as his voice got quieter, "So Quinn voluntarily joined your store?"

She smirked and looked over his shoulder, "Why don't you ask her yourself?" Turning around, there she was, standing beside Becky in a "Sue's kids" letterman jacket. He watched in silence as she bit her lip anxiously before clearing his throat.

"Hello, Quinn," his voice was indifferent.

"Will-"

"I just want to know something," he searched her eyes, "Why, Quinn? Why did you quit working with us at Walmart to come here?"

"I wanted a new start. She offered me the job when I complained to her about mine at Walmart. I couldn't work there anymore."

"But, why?" He looked down at the paper in his hand and shook his head. "We never did anything like this to you, never treated you like this."

"Yes you did!" She burst out suddenly. "Ever since man hands and her stupid ego waltzed into that store, it's always been about her! How she feels about things; her view on the job; her safety. What about me!"

"But do you realize what risk you made with my company by publishing this letter?!" He said loudly. "Not only do we have to deal with Finn and his safety and needs, but we have to deal with you and your ridiculous rumor about "not feeling safe and appreciated in the store!"

"So you're just worried about your reputation? It's all about the customers, isn't it?" She sarcastically said.

He backtracked, "No, Quinn that's not what I meant. I'm just saying that instead of sitting on a stump and feeling sorry for yourself you should try caring about others and their feelings." Frowning to herself, the blonde looked down at the carpeted floor.

"I think you've said what you've had to say, William." She stood up and walked towards him, a smug smile on her normally hard face. "You see? Even in my brink of downfall, people still knock on my door. No putting cement in your hair or taunting you necessary." She snapped her fingers.

"Becky! Please escort Justin Timberlake back to his sad, depressing excuse for a store, so that I can get to training Ms. Fabray immediately."

Nodding, the blonde suddenly pushed the man out of the room narrowing her eyes at him.

"Walk yourself home, biaaaach!" She hissed before slamming the door in his face. Sighing dejectedly, his shoulders slumped.

And If things could get any worse, it did.

* * *

Barnes and nobles? No, there's too many books. Mcdonalds? Huh, yeah right. If he wants to eat all of their supply. Well, he could drive a taxi again. Ugh, but then he'd have to deal with drunk passengers. Finn sighed and shook his head as he pressed backspace to delete the stores' names on his phone. Why is he even doing this? He's not even sure he would actually quit. But that still doesn't stop him from wondering 'what if'.

"Finn Christopher Hudson." Ridding his thoughts, he turned his head towards Rachel who stood at the door frame of his room, her hands planted on her petite hips defiantly.

"Why are you playing with your phone and not sleeping? Dr. Chang insisted you'd get some rest-"

"A-And I was," he defends. "But you weren't here...and I wanted to rest with you." Smiling softly at the adorable pout on his face, Rachel walked over and climbed in the bed beside him.

She reached to grab his phone, "And what are you doing on this thing anyways?" Becoming nervous, Finn struggled to take it back with his right arm only. "N-Nothing. Rach, give it back," he chuckled nervously. Turning her back towards him Rachel giggled. Suddenly it stopped and after a moment of silence she turned to look at him, a confused expression on her face.

"Finn? W-Why are you looking for an online application for the new york city cab service?" Finn sighed.

"Rachel, I was just looking-"

"For what?" She started panicking. "Are you quitting Walmart? I-I-I know you're a little frazzled about the incident on New Year's Eve, but why would you want to leave?" Her heart started beating erratically as her big brown eyes widened.

"Rachel-"

"I mean I thought you liked working as a people greeter. You know, helping kids and giving fake directio-" a kiss on the side of Rachel's mouth stopped her sentence. Staring at him with wide eyes, she stared at him. Did Finn just….sort of _kiss her_? He smiled softly at her.

"Rach, I need you to take a deep breath."

"Bu-"

"Rach….." he chuckled, "...just breathe." Complying with his soft instructions, she took two calming breaths.

"Okay," he gave her a lopsided grin. "I'm not quitting my job at Walmart."

"But-"

"Rach, did you really think I would leave Walmart? After everything it's done for me? After meeting you?"

"But I just saw the application, Finn. You were filling it out."

"I was thinking of filling it out. But I'm not." She looked up at him with calmer, yet intense eyes.

"Really?" She whispers. Looking at her softly, he outstretches his left arm.

"C'mere," moving closer cautiously, Rachel settles into his side. Finn smiles and pulls her into him and kisses her forehead.

"I'm not gonna lie, I was thinking of quitting my job." He felt her body tense.

"But...why?" She looked up at him.

"Have you ever experienced an...emiphany?"

Rachel giggled and scrunched up her nose, "You mean, _epiphany_?"

He grinned at her and nodded, "Yeah. It's a certain moment in your life when you realize what you're doing at that moment is wrong; that you were meant for something else much greater than what you are now."

She stared into space for a second, a sad expression adorned on her face. "Uh, yeah...I've had one of those."

"That's what I felt when being in that hospital; heck that's how I've felt most of my life. It just took until now to actually do something about it." He exclaimed.

"Well, what are you going to do?" She asked.

"I don't know," he shrugged. "I never thought of where to start because I never thought I would get to this point."

"Well, I am more than happy to help you achieve whatever goals you have," she gave him a sincere smile, as a sad look flashed over her eyes for a second. Finn looked at her warmly as he pulled her into his arms.

"You're just too sweet for words, you know that?" She giggled slightly and sighed in contentment as he kissed her cheek. It wasn't until they pulled apart, though that he noticed her wistful expression.

"Hey, what's wrong?" He analyzed her worriedly. She found it very hard to cover her sullen expression.

"Nothing," she grinned at him rather awkwardly. He gave her a look.

"Really, Rachel? You really think I can't tell that something's wrong?" When she didn't answer him he detached himself from her and turned his head away "sassily".

"Okay then. No more cuddles for you, I guess." She gasped and frowned at him.

"What? Finn, that's not fair!" He started to smirk but covered it up with a look of anger.

"Well, not telling me what's wrong isn't fair, but you seem to be all up for that." He turned to give her a puppy dog look before grunting with a childish "_hmmmf_" and turning back around.

"Alright, I'm sorry. I'll tell you what's wrong. But only if you come back over here." Grinning he scooted back towards to her on the bed and pulled her to his side as she laid her head on his chest. To be honest she didn't know what they were. And she guessed that Finn didn't know either since he hadn't addressed it.

She sighed, "Okay, I think it's about time I tell you about my life before Walmart. You still have no idea and I practically know everything about you, so..."

"Oh, Rachel you don't have to tell me anything," he interrupted softly. "Don't do something you're not comfortable with."

"No I want to do it," she looked up at him. "It'll also help me...cope with what happened," she whispered.

"Okay." His left arm pulled her even closer to him if that was even possible.

She took a deep breath and said, "My life was unique; my childhood was unique. I had two dads, one of them working as a deputy sheriff and the other one a lawyer. I was smaller than the average kid down the street. I stood out."

"Yeah, but your height is cute." She blushed at his comment.

"Thank you," she whispered. "Anyways, my fathers always tried their best to make me feel like I belonged and that being special in certain ways is a good thing. I took voice lessons, dance lessons, anything to give me a competitive edge. And boy was I competitive." They shared a laugh.

"Well, what stopped? Your competitiveness, I mean." He asked. She cleared her throat and looked down at her lap.

"I was a sophomore in high school. I-I was in my school's glee club and I fell for a guy named Brody Weston. He was the golden boy of Carmel high; a senior. I still don't know what he saw in me. But now thinking back, I realize what his true altering motives were. He was the leader of the club and since glee was the most popular club in our school; we were like rock stars." She smiled at this.

Finn chuckled, "it's kind of funny how your school's most popular club was glee and mine was sports."

"Well, did you ever do a sport?" She questioned. Chuckling to himself he blushed.

"Uh...yeah. Basketball and football. I was the captain in both of them." Rachel's eyes widened.

"Really? You must have been really good."

He laughed full on at this and scoffed," Yeah right. We sucked. Our coach didn't know a three pointer from a touchback."

She frowned, "Well, what, do they touch your back or something?" He laughed and shook his head.

"No, silly. No come on, you're beating around the bush. Continue with the story." She took a deep breath and continued.

"So, anyways, it was my sophomore year when he actually noticed me in the club and asked me out. I was elated, a-and so enamored by his presence in my life that I forgot how manipulative that bastard could be," she bit out. Finn's eyes widened at her language.

"Every time we would meet up or he would come over to my house, he'd always pressure me to have sex."

Finn looked at her and gasped. "Oh god you didn't, right?" She shook her head.

"No, I'm still a virgin." She missed his alert expression at that.

"I refused and I guess he didn't like that because when our school had invitationals he planned another song for the group to sing behind my back to make me look bad and embarrass me in front of the whole school." Tears filled her eyes.

"And to make things worse, they threw eggs at me on the stage as I sang along to the wrong song." Her lips quivered as she looked at him.

"Finn there were professors from arts colleges; glee club alumni. All of them came to see the show and I humiliated myself all the while ruining my chances of ever getting into my dream college." He frowned at her.

"Well that can't be true. M-Maybe they thought it was just an act or something. They couldn't have possibly rejected you because of one misunderstanding."

"Finn, people posted it on YouTube and on MySpace. I was a bullied at Carmel for being the sixteen year old freak who forgot the song her club was supposed to sing," she cried. "And when the rest of the members parents heard about this, they demanded the instructor to disband me from the club. So not only was I an ex-member, but I was an outcast. No one wanted to be my friend, my dreams were shattered; all because my stupid self wouldn't put out," she laughs bitterly and cried at the same time. Finn's heart sunk at the petite brunette before him. Had he known what such an amazing women like her went through during her teenage years, he would've jumped at the chance to be her friend. No one should be treated like the way she had. As she continues to whimper and shake with sobs in his arms he starts to softly sing a tune.

**Oh, why you look so sad?  
Tears are in your eyes  
Come on and come to me now**

**Don't be ashamed to cry**  
**Let me see you through**  
**'cause I've seen the dark side too**

**When the night falls on you**  
**You don't know what to do**  
**Nothing you confess**  
**Could make me love you less**

**I'll stand by you**  
**I'll stand by you**  
**Won't let nobody hurt you**  
**I'll stand by you**

He didn't even get to sing the next verse as he soft snores vibrated against his chest. He smiled down at her and kissed her head.

"We'll get you back on your feet, Rach. I promise." Then he reached over his nightstand and shut off the light.

* * *

"Hey, Em, sorry I'm late," Will walked into her office and placed his lunch bag down on her desk. Sighing, he sat down and ran a hand through his hair. "I had a talk with the city cops, had to chase away yet another group of reporters, and Quinn just decided to quit her job."

She looked at him sympathetically as she wiped feverishly at her fruit. "Will, honestly you have nothing to explain to me. I know, this week has been tough."

"Yeah, probably because it's been plastered on the news," he scoffed. But all of his problems wiped away when he looked at her. He smiled, "So what's with this lunch meeting, Em? I know you're not usually comfortable with workers coming into your office during your work hours because of the scrubbing you'll have to do later." Gasping, she placed her glove-covered hand on her forehead and laughed.

"Oh my gosh, I completely forgot about that!" She blushed and shook her head. "I've just been so easy-going and laid back since the weekend Carl and I had." Placing her semi-washed fruit down, she leaned closer to him eagerly. "We went to an off-Broadway play of "_Rocky Horror_" and it was amazing! Then, out of the blue, Carl asked if I wanted to go on a trip to Vegas with him and I couldn't decline-"

"-Wait, you went to _Vegas_? _With Carl_?" She nodded quickly before continuing on, completely oblivious to the incredulous expression on her friend's face. Really? Will can't believe this. He's actually _making her better_. And here he is, listening to her talk about them going to theater shows and eating at world star buffets in Vegas. This girl wouldn't have even stepped foot in a place with that great amount germs infested in those areas.

"-And then, while we were just touring the area and we just stumbled upon a marriage court an-"

"Wait, _what?!_" He sure as hell caught that.

She beamed at him and raised her left hand, showing a glistening diamond ring on her ring finger. "_We got married_!" She shrieked. Will just gaped at her.

Yep. This was most definitely the _worst_; _day_; _ever_.

* * *

**There you go, guys! A lot of drama a set from this! I will be posting more, it's just that I've been busy with midterms and other stupid crap.**

**Also, there will be other story up dates coming to you, I swear! Anyways, I hoped you guys enjoyed this chapter and please feel free to share your opinions! Bye!**

**~Vikki3775**


	17. Lovesick Lullabies

**Sup guys! Sorry it's been a while with this story. Since I've been busy with school and trying to get my permit, I haven't had time to update on this story and Talking to the Moon. But I'm trying!**

**Anyways, I hope you guys like this chapter. Wait-what the hell am I saying?! Of course you guys'll love this chapter! Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own any of the glee characters though I wish I were once on glee. Ship warnings!**

**~Vikki3775**

* * *

_"SURPRISE!" _Finn looked around the staff room in shock from the door pane. He smiled and walked in slowly.

"Guys, you didn't have to do this!" The whole room was decorated, a _"Welcome Back, Finn" _banner hanging from the middle of the room. The people greeter's heart warmed at the smiles on their faces upon seeing him return to work after the shooting accident on New Year's Eve. He couldn't believe that he actually contemplated working here or not.

Rachel walked up from behind him, his working bag on her shoulders, "We just wanted to welcome you back." She smiled at him. "We missed you." Finn grinned back.

"Okay, enough with the ogling each other. I wants to get my party on!" The rest of the staff cheered along in agreement with Santana's statement as the made their way to the food that was set up. Narrowing his suspiciously at the brunette beside him, Finn grinned at her.

"Let me guess. Someone short but very defiant with brunette hair planned this party?" Rachel grinned sheepishly and shrugged.

"Guilty is charged." He laughed and pulled her into a bone crushing hug.

"Thank you," he whispered into her ear. Tensing up, she pulled apart quickly and frowned.

"Finn! What did I say, no soul squeezing hugs, okay? You may be back at work, but-"

"-the wound is still healing," he finished, chuckling. "Rach, I'm fine. Now give me the bag." Reluctantly, she handed him the blue bag, tensing up more when he strapped it on his good shoulder. Finn grabbed her hand, entwining it with his.

"C'mon. Let's go "get our eat on!". Rachel giggled at his imitation of the Latina, Finn's heart fluttering at the sound as the walk further into the room together.

* * *

"You've got another Valentine, Sue," Becky said, handing a red envelope to her. Sighing, the older blonde leaned back into her office seat and ripped open the paper envelope on both. Bending the card so that only a small space was opened, she blew into it, rolling her eyes when no certificates or money flew out.

"_Really?! _You spend all of your time writing about your strange and obsessive infatuation with me, but you don't even spare me a plane ticket to Cabo?! Talk about _'cheap'._" She scoffed and opened it anyways, frowning while tossing the card carelessly back on her desk when she saw who it was from.

"Who is it from, coach?" The shorter blonde asked from her seat across from her.

"It was another absolutely pointless valentine from Rod, the owner of Remington's Research center."

"You mean the one who cheated?" She asked with a crinkle of her face in disgust. Sue clicked her tongue and pointed at her.

"We never actually dated, but you're spot on, Becky."

Tilting her head slightly to the left, she asked, "Don't you want to go out and date again, coach?"

Sue shook her head. "Ohhhh, no, Becky. That ship has sailed for me," she exclaims quickly yet calmly. "The last time I dated was the last time I had a menstrual period. Do you know how long ago that was?"

"Oh," she simply said. Suddenly, a skinny brown skinned employee waltzed into the office. Sue smiled slyly.

"Why hello, Bree, my best junior Sue's kid. What do I owe the pleasure of you being here?" She gulped and looked at her seriously.

"We have a problem." With that, the grin slid off her face.

* * *

"Come on down to 'Sue's Sports!" Where the best of the best supplies you with world championship exercise training and protein products!" Quinn waved a sign on the air along with the other girls in front of the building as assigned, rolling her eyes when the sexist men in the cars honked, wolf whistled or gave cat calls as they drove by. She looked down at her 'Sue's kids' outfit and grinned slightly, shrugging. At least she was getting _some_ sort of attention.

"Hey! Watch where you're going you dipsticked jackass!" She snapped her head towards one of the cars in the middle of the street, when one particularly familiar mohawked idiot j-walked across the street illegally.

"Hey! You kiss your mother with that mouth?! Oh wait, probably not because no one would ever want to fuck with you anyways!" Ignoring the man's honks and muffled yells, he continued walking, winking at a few of the blonde's new co-workers as they send him sultry looks. Again she rolled her eyes. He walked up to her.

Quinn sighed," What are you doing here, Puck?"

He rose his eyebrows at her. "What _I'm_ doing here? What are _you_ doing here. I mean, _really_ Quinn?! Out of all of the sick, mind-twisted, corrupted superstores in this area, you chose "Sue's Sports?! It's right across from Walmart!" She looked over his shoulder and just like he said, the supermarket stood, it's white letters haunting her with every glance she took. Quinn sighed and looked at him again.

"Did you just come here to yell at me, Puck? Or are you just gonna leave me to do my wo-"

"I came here to talk some sense into you," he says, firmly. "And since you're so stubborn and goddamned close-minded, it'll only work if we talk face to face." Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out a piece of paper and a pen.

"I don't want your number, Puck."

"This isn't my number." Handing the crinkled price of paper he says, "meet me at this place, Friday night, at eight."

She frowned at the paper, "Wait, isn't friday Valentine's day?" He groaned.

"Gosh, Quinn. For once can you just stop thinking the only reason I talk to you is because I want to get laid?" Looking at him sheepishly, she says, "You're right. I'm sorry." He nodded in response.

Feedback from a nearby speaker started echoing from behind them. _"Noah Puckerman! If you do not remove yourself from the premises of my superstore you will be taken in, tied down, and castrated, using your balls as an ornament for the next Christmas season!"_ The hobby and sport section employee visibly winced before sighing and looking at the blonde earnestly.

"I hope to see you there." With that he turned around and left, carelessly J-walking again, while throwing a few curses in response to the loud honking of the cars. Biting her lip, Quinn frowned. Whatever this _'meeting' _is better not be a trap.

* * *

"One flaxseed and kale smoothie for one Kurt Hummel," the fashionista smiled gratefully at his boyfriend as he placed his drink order on the island of the diner. Leaning forward, he pecked his lips quickly.

"Thanks, babe."

"You're welcome," Blaine grinned and grabbed a nearby dishrag, wiping a small spill of soda on the surface between them.

Kurt took a sip and bit his lip slightly, playing with the condensation droplets on the glass. "So when did you say you were off from work this week?"

"Thursday and Friday," he responded. "Why?"

"Oh, nothing..." The Walmart stylist finally groaned and gave in. "Fine. Are you doing anything on Friday?" Smirking knowingly at what he was hinting at, Blaine leaned closer towards him.

"Well, it depends."

"So...based upon your free schedule, I was kind of wondering,...if you would go on a date with me..." The last nine words rushed out of his mouth as he timidly looked up at him under his eyelashes. The curly haired waiter still didn't buy it.

"I'm sorry, what?" He curved his hand around his ear and leaned in even closer. Finally, Kurt burst.

"Fine, will you go on a date with me!" With wide eyes, both men looked around the half filled diner, blushing when they got surprised expressions back from the customers. Blaine burst out laughing.

"Oh my god, Kurt. Our dates are going to be hilarious!" Hearing this his ears perked up along with his face.

"So I take that as a yes?" Grinning, he nodded grabbing his hand across the counter.

"Yes, Kurt. I'll go on a date with you. Even if you like to beat around the bush," he laughed when he got a playful hit on the arm as a response.

* * *

"Uno."

"Damnit, Rach!" Finn threw down his now fourteen cards on the dinner table and stared exasperatedly at the smug brunette across from him who only had one card in her hand.

"Honestly, we might as well end this game. You've obviously won." She beamed at him happily.

"I know. Let's start another round," she started to collect the cards to shuffle them again when a soft yet slightly calloused hand reached out to touch one of them. Finn looked at her.

"Hey, are you doing anything on Friday?"

"If you you call sitting up and watching netflix movies on the couch while eating ice cream, plans, then I'm busy." He grinned at her adorableness.

"I guess you don't then. Alright, well then you won't mind spending the day with me."

She suddenly perked up. "Oh, that is better! We can play more uno, and I can introduce you to my all time favorite show Sex and the City, and-"

"No, no, not like that," he chuckled at her slumped shoulders but squeezed her hand. "We have all of the time in the world to do that, but, uh...I-I want to take you somewhere else." Finally catching on, Rachel's brown eyes widened.

"You mean a-a date?" At her taken aback expression he backtracked.

"Well, we don't have to if you don't want to, but...I really do want to go on a date with you." He frowned, "I-I don't know if you agree or feel the same way, but...it's worth a try, right?" He shrugged before leaning slightly more towards her, his eyes gazing at her with a much more intense version of the expression he gave her during Christmas time.

"Rachel,..." He gulped. "_I like you._ And based upon your actions with me too, it doesn't seem like a better time right?" Rachel's heart thudded repeatedly through his exclamation. This is what she's been waiting on. After all these months she finally going on a date with Finn Hudson.

She smiled and looked down at her card. "If I say yes, will you do something for me?" She missed the ecstatic expression on his face when she said that.

"Sure." She looked up at him and grinned playfully.

"You let me win another round." A slow smile spread on his face as he collected the cards and started to shuffle them.

"Over my dead body!" She giggled as he passed her seven cards, both of them blushing when his hand brushed with hers.

Oh yeah. Friday night will be _awesome_.

* * *

"Artie. Artie, wait." Tina gasped out through their kisses. He pulled away from her.

"What's wrong?" She sighed and looked down at their position. She was seated in her boyfriend's lap, in his apartment, both of them dressed up for their pending Valentine's date.

"I have to tell you something." He raised an eyebrow at her.

"Well, I hope it's that you want to continue kissing because if it is, I couldn't agree more," he puckered his lips and leaned in. She giggled at his crooked foggy glasses on top of his nose. She gently pushed him away.

"N-No, it's something more important." Sighing she looked into his eyes as her heart beat erratically in her chest. "_I-I don't have a stutter_," she said. "I-I mean, I did. When I was in seventh grade I had to present a project on the Missouri compromise. I just faked it...a-and I know this is a surprise for you, but-"

"I know." She stopped her rambles and stared wide eyed at him.

"W-What?" He smiled slightly at her.

"You didn't think I noticed when you'd 'accidentally stop stuttering'? Of course I did!" The pharmacist's eyes filled with tears while she looked down at her lap, preparing for the worst: a breakup.

"I was supposed to break up with you on Monday...but I'm not." She gasped and looked at him.

"Y-You're not?" An easy grin grew on his face as he chuckled softly.

"It's funny how when you were supposed to be stuttering you weren't, and now you're telling me that you don't have a stutter, with a stutter." She giggled slightly at the joke.

"I didn't break up with you because this was a test. I wanted to see if you would actually be honest with me before my pending breakup decision. Thankfully you chose to tell me just three days before." He gave her a pointed look in which she blushed under. Suddenly she frowned.

"Wait, how long did you know about this?" He grinned.

"About halfway through this relationship." Relieved, she sighed and softly caressed his face.

"I'm really sorry, Artie." He leaned in to her touch.

"It's okay. Just to be clear there isn't anything else you're hiding from me, right?" He rose a brow at her it which she smoothed out with her thumb.

"Just that..._I love you._" He beamed at this, kissing her hand.

"I love you too."

* * *

"I mean, think about it!"

"Britt, I don't think a dolphin is a gay shark."

"But look, I talked to lord Tubbington about the clues, and we both agreed! Haven't you seen how flamboyant they act in front of an audience at Sea World? Yet they still attack like savages! It's all in the facts!" During her explanation, she shifted their joined hands slightly, revealing them under one of the dinner table napkins. Looking around quickly, Santana adjusted it back so that it covered their hands. She sighed and looked back up at her best friend again. Boy was this hard.

"Hey, San?" She stared into the blondes gorgeous eyes that seemed as blue as the sea. She swears she almost drowned in them. They were so beautiful.

She smiled softly at her and said, "Yeah?" Brittany frowned.

"How come we haven't told people we are, like...totally dating now? I mean, you said you loved me and I did too. I just don't want to hide anymore." The Latina stared at her, shocked. That was about the smartest thing she has ever said in a _LONG_ time. But she won't dare tell her that. She didn't want to hurt her feelings- wait. When did she start caring about people's feelings?!

Santana leaned In and said with a hushed voice, "I _do_ love you. It's just-I don't know what people will think if I just come out and say, 'hey, I'm Santana Lopez and I like girls the way I'm supposed to like boys? I mean, my abuela, is Christian, like _crazy disowning Christian_. I can't tell my family yet."

"Who said you had to tell your family now? Don't you want to tell your friends? I'm pretty sure they'll all be supportive." Across from her, Santana frowned and looked down at the table, deep in thought.

Brittany suddenly smiled, "Hey! Maybe you can be my special guest next week for my new show, _"Fondue for two"_! We'll both write our feelings out and read it to each other. It'll be like "Letters to Juliet" but gayer!" Santana cracked a grin at her terrible movie allusion and sighed.

"Sure, Britt. I'll go on the show next week." The blonde squealed, not too loud of course and reached over to kiss her cheek, oblivious to the uncomfortable countenance on her 'girlfriend's' face.

Things will work out fine..._.right_?

* * *

"Hello?" When she didn't get an answer Quinn sighed and shook her head as she entered a small quaint café, dimly lit with only a few people scattered around. Obviously it had a very comforting atmosphere.

She spotted Puck talking quietly to two women probably in their late twenties-early thirties. She quirked an eyebrow as she approached them slowly.

"Uh...hi." That's when they all noticed her and Puck stood up, walking to her with an outstretched hand. The two girls stood up, and gave her warm smiles.

"Quinn, I'd like to introduce you to Kelly and Taylor." They shook hands with her in which she returned with hesitance.

She sighed, "Puck, no offense but are these girls some of the ones you hooked up with-"

The blonde, Kelly frowned, "Wait, wha-"

"No!" He explained testily. "Just- listen to what they say, without making stupid ass assumptions, please?" He grabbed her hand and squeezed it, looking into her eyes, reassuringly. After a moment she nodded in agreement as all four of them sat at the table.

"So...I guess I'll start," the blonde woman said. "Puck here says that you're working under Sue Sylvester." Frowning slightly, Quinn nodded.

"I did too, you know," she confessed to the younger girl's surprise. "I thought it was so rewarding, something that would make my parents so proud. See, when I was ten years old, both of my parents died in a car crash, leaving me to live under my late grandmother." She frowned to herself and said, "I felt like I needed to make them proud, you know? To prove that the ten years I grew under their parenting wasn't for granted." Quinn nodded in understanding. "I was in college, struggling to make ends meet, so I thought, "what the hey?" It'll help pay for my tuition and make me feel good."

"So then what was wrong?" Quinn asked. "I-I don't understa-"

"The media," she answered curtly. "You hear something completely different on the television than what you actually experience yourself. A-And maybe I wasn't taught enough not to trust just anything I hear, but I fell for the commercials, the promoting ads, the endorsements on magazine headlines. I fell for what soon made me a 'Sue's kid'."

"My experience was almost like hers to be exact," the brunette jumped in. Quinn and Puck turned to look at her. "Was kicked out of my house at eighteen, left to live on my own, find my own way. I fell into Sue's traps due to ignorance and desperation. I needed something to help me and make me feel better. But after everything I went through with her...it wasn't worth it."

"W-What, did she make you guys do?" Quinn shared a concerned look with Puck.

Tears welled in Kelly's eyes. "She threatened our health, our self-esteem."

Taylor leaned in closer to Quinn and asked, "She hasn't given you any _"Sue Sylvester's Master Cleanse,"_ has she?" She frowned.

"Master what?" The woman visibly relaxed at her response and leaned back in her chair.

"If she offers any of that to you, refuse, refuse, refuse."

"W-What is it?"

"No one really knows for sure," Kelly answered. "Some call it a vomiting agent while others call it _"liquid bulimia"_.

"And she's done worse," she added. "Just last year, a woman sued her for almost making her seventeen year old daughter launch from a cannon for one of her "Sue's Sports" pep rally's." Quinn's green eyes widened at this.

"We're telling you all of this because we don't want you to be a victim," Taylor continued. "Kelly and I- just like all the other girls you work with, were brainwashed by Sue's exquisite uniforms and large paychecks. While those girls you work with build their bank accounts, their self-worth and individuality gets weaker and weaker every time they clock in for a shift." Kelly leaned in and grabbed both of her hands, squeezing them. Quinn's eyes started to sting with tears.

"_You are beautiful_," she said. "Sue doesn't care who she destroys as long she gets to the top. Right now, I'm sending a pending lawsuit towards her for illegal protein shakes containing blended margarita and placenta." All four of them cringed.

"That's how I met her, actually," Puck added from besides her.

"When he was trying to convince you to come here, he saw me scoping out her store in search for evidence and asked me to come," the twenty-nine year old exclaimed.

"And this boy right here?" Kelly pointed at the mohawked Walmart employee. "I have never seen someone so driven to make a girl understand that she is special. If I had someone to care about me that much when I was your age, I would forever be grateful." Puck scratched his head and adverted his eyes away from the girls, a slight blush on his cheeks. Quinn chuckled softly and touched his arm.

"I know," she simply said. Turning to look at her again, Puck's eyes softened at her words.

After about an hour of eating dessert together and talking, the four of them left the bakery together. Quinn frowned and turned to look at Kelly.

"Hey, you said you're trying to catch Sue in the act, right?" The dirty blonde nodded.

"How about you have me help? I'm sure I can find more things to help pin against her." Kelly grinned softly.

"Honey, really. You don't have to do that." She said.

"No, but I want to," Quinn said. "I want to catch her in the act. Plus it's the least I can do from what you've told me." It was silent a moment as the older woman contemplated this before she responded.

"Fine. I'll give you my number and we can plan to meet up to share information," as both of them shared numbers, Puck rocked back and forth in the heels of his sneakers as he looked around him awkwardly. When they finished Quinn hugged both of them.

"Thank you," she said sincerely. Both women giggled.

"Oh don't thank us honey. Thank your friend Puckerman here." Both women winked at them before walking off in their own directions.

"So..." Puck drawled as Quinn turned around. Expecting her to yell at him or worse: curse him out, he prepared for the worst, squinting his eyes. What he didn't expect, though, was to be tackled by a bone crushing hug.

"Thank you," Quinn said softly in his ear, her voice cracking. When they pulled apart, Puck stared, shocked as a tear fell from her eye.

"Hey..." He said softly. "You okay?" She quickly wiped her face before laughing softly.

"Yeah, yeah, I'm fine. I just don't know where to go, that's all. I practically banned myself from ever setting foot in Walmart, so..."

"Who says Will won't forgive you?" Puck asked. "You know how forgiving the dude is. Especially if you're trying to bring Sue down."

"I've hurt so many people..." She sobbed out suddenly. Trying to compose herself, she shook her head and took a shuttering breath. "But I have to thank you, Puck because if it weren't for you I'd be even worse off than I am now..."

"Hey, don't you dare fucking say that," he interrupts, pointing at her. "You aren't a mess. I don't want to hear any of that bullshit coming out of you. You're just a badass, that's all," Quinn giggled at this, shaking her head. Puck's heart did a leap at the sound.

"So, Puckerman..." She continued after a moment. "How will I be able to thank you?"

He shrugged. "You just did." She scoffed.

"Oh please, Puck! I know you more than anyone. You don't roll like that-"

"No, I'm serious," he says. "No 'thank you' sex or dates. Think of it as a friendly gift." Narrowing her eyes suspiciously with a smirk, the blonde sighed defeatedly.

"Fine. I believe you. But seriously, no date offers, no pick up lines?!"

Puck shook his head, "Nope. I'm done pressuring you to date me. If you want to go out with me, I'll find out from you." Grinning slyly, she tested the waters and walked closer to him, to the point where their noses were almost touching.

"How about now?" She whispered. Smirking he leaned down and kissed her cheek, turning to walk away, to her surprise.

"See ya later, Fabray." As Quinn watched the one guy who wrestled to have sex with her for years walk away, she fought the slight fluttering in her heart she's never experienced before.

_What was going on with her?_

* * *

Rachel opened the door to her apartment, shrugging her winter coat off her shoulders, along with her wool scarf. Hanging them up of her coat hook, she hummed a silly tune before making her way towards the kitchen.

But what she saw, stopped her completely in her tracks.

Atop of the island in her kitchen was a gigantic teddy bear holding a heart that says, _"stuffed with love!"_. A pink balloon is wrapped around its arm and the brunette couldn't help but giggle as she walked closer.

"What the..." A virgin Cosmo was set atop the countertop along with confetti hearts and a single red rose, placed neatly in a vase filled with water.

She also found a note and opened it eagerly, giggling at what it said

**I know what you're thinking. "There's no way I could've pulled this off," right? Well guess what missy, I did, if you were wondering. I'm glad you gave me your spare key because I'd be in deep do-do.**

**Anyways, meet me at the east side of Central Park, at 59th and 6th avenue, and please wear something comfy. It'll be fun, I promise.**

**Love,**  
**Finn**

She tried not to me too affected by the term _"love" _at the bottom of the note, but couldn't help but be intrigued. Could this possibly mean that the feeling's mutual? Well, of course it's mutual. He asked her out for Christ sakes. Squealing quietly inside her head, Rachel raced over to her bedroom, and practically jumped into a nice pair of dark wash jeans, a cashmere sweater and a pair of boots. She cautiously put on a little mascara and lipstick, not taking too many chances, because she honestly had no idea what they were doing at Central Park.

* * *

Walking into the east side entrance, she sighed and folded her arms, looking around the area.

"Now where is he..." She murmured searching the scattering of people. Little did she know, two hands slowly crept at her sides.

_"Boo!" _Rachel screamed before turning around quickly and punched whoever touched her in the eye.

"Fuck, Rach, ow!" That's when she realized it was Finn, who immediately reached to cover his eye with a hiss.

"Aww...Finn I'm so sorry!" With a gloved hand, she gently pulled his hand away from her face, to reveal an small red ring already forming around his chestnut colored eye.

"It-It's fine, Rachel"

"No it isn't," she said stubbornly. "Damn my good reflexes." He laughed at this pulling her hand away from his face. He smiled.

"I'll be fine...there's nothing to worry about." With slight hesitance, she finally relented.

"So when did you get here?" He asked as they started walking further into the park.

"Just two minutes ago, before you scared the living crap out of me."

"I'm sorry."

"It's okay," she looked up at him with a grin. "You got payback anyways, I guess."

"Hey, I thought you were concerned about my eye! Now you're saying I deserved it?!" He teased. She laughed and nodded.

After a while of just walking, Rachel chuckled nervously, "Uh, Finn, no offense, but where are we going?"

He grinned at her and stopped walking. "I was waiting for you to say that." He turned his body towards a nearby tree, the only spot that wasn't covered with a white blanket of snow. And under that tree lay a picnic set out for two.

"A _picnic_?" She asked gaping at him. He nodded and grinned lopsidedly. "You do realize it's winter, right?"

"Yep, I do." Finn simply sat on the blanket in criss-cross applesauce form, now looking up at her. He patted the free space next to him. "C'mon, take a seat." Shaking her head with a grin, Rachel did exactly what he said.

"Finn, no offense, but we're going to freeze sitting here."

"So?" He said simply, shrugging. She gaped at him for a second before closing her mouth completely.

Her best friend then started to dig into the picnic basket, handing her what she believes is a wonderfully laid out salad that she immediately recognized as one of the many meals she orders from Brittany's diner.

"Here ya go." She takes the food gratefully as he prepares the drinks and his own things. After two minutes of eating silently, Finn speaks.

"So a little birdy told me that you have never been to Central Park before, after about six months of living in New York City." She turned to look at him.

"It was Kurt, wasn't it?" He smirked.

"I'm not gonna tell who, but I knew I just had to fix that problem. So what better way to show you the beauties of Central Park than on a date?"

Rachel laughed, "Finn, we're gonna freeze-"

"No we're not." Reaching to into his pocket, he pulls some sort of miniature remote and presses a button. Suddenly, her bottom starts to warm up.

"Woah, what is that?" He laughed at her confused expression.

"It's a battery powered blanket warmer," he says, leaning back against the tree behind them casually.

"So, Ms. Berry. Tell me about yourself." She giggled.

"You already know everything about me!" He groaned and threw his head back.

"I know that, but I can't just not ask you that question. It's one of the top conversation starters you must say on dates." Rachel laughed hysterically and leaned her body closer to his. Finn grinned and laughed along with her before taking a sip of his soda.

After about a half and hour of cracking jokes and telling silly stories, the people greeter stood up and started to pack everything up.

He reached a hand out to help her up off of the ground before picking up the now folded blanket and the picnic basket.

"Alright, Mrs. Berry," He sighed. "I want to show you something."

"What?" Without answering, he simply offered a hand to her in which she took hesitantly.

As they started to walk, she looked down at their hands, smiling softly when she saw how perfectly her hand fit with his.

* * *

"This view is beautiful..." Rachel said softly as they looked out at the frozen pond on the bow bridge. "I've always wanted to stand here. So many iconic movies and celebrities walk upon this bridge," her face drooped a little as she looked down at the railing of the bridge. Finn noticed this and sighed.

"Yeah, I've never really had an interest for the bridge...until now." At that statement, she turned to look at him, startled slightly when a flash suddenly invaded her vision.

Rachel blinked and rubbed her eyes, "What the..._Finn_!"

He winced at her stern glare before grinning sheepishly. "Sorry...I just wanted to capture this." He showed her the picture on his phone and she frowned.

"Capture what? It's just a picture of me looking confused." Her best friend chuckled as he continued to examine the photo on his phone.

"That's really all you see?" He asked. "Because I see so much more." Looking at him with wonder, Rachel whispered,

"Really?...What?" He cleared his throat, never detaching his eyes from the small screen.

"I see a visionary, someone whose talent and drive is going to change the world for the better. Whether it's singing on a real Broadway stage or organizing returned items in the customer service section at Walmart. He grinned. "And you know what else I see?"

"What?" The brunette whispered, her eyes tearing up.

" I also see a little girl trapped inside her, so scared and confused on how to use these talents and gifts to change the world," the people greeter continued. He furrowed his eyebrows at the photo. "Her position in the picture just screams, _"I belong here_," but her _eyes_...her eyes tell me she isn't sure..." he finally turned to look at her, "...that she does." Tear after tear poured down her little rosy cheeks as she looked up at him with so much sadness. It broke his heart.

"You may think you'll never get there, or be here like all of the celebrities you talk about, but I know you will. And if you would just believe in yourself as much as I do, then...maybe taking that big leap to success won't seem so scary." Finn stared deep into her eyes, scavenging for a signal showing that she understood what he meant when he said she was capable of practically anything. But there were so many different emotions, it was just like this one big scramble. If only he could make her see more, then maybe-

A pair of plump lips on his stopped his mental battle with what to say next. It wasn't until two freezing cold hands covered his cheeks. The salty-sweet taste of tears and sweet strawberry lipgloss invaded his tastebuds and he accepted it gradually. Relaxing into her touch, he pulled her closer, if that was even possible. A moment went by before Finn decided to take a chance and traced her lips with the tip of his tongue, sighing contently when she granted access.

After about a minute of partaking in their intimate lip lock, Rachel pulled apart her usual brown orbs staring back at him with so much adoration.

"You really believe in me that much?" She whispered. The right corner of his lips lifted slightly into the crooked smile he knows she loves so much.

"More," he says. With a teary smile she engulfed him in the biggest hug that she could make with her small arms. Chuckling into her hair, Finn hugged her back.

"C'mon," he said when she stepped out of their embrace. She took the hand he offered and they started to make their way to a nearby bench to sit.

After about ten minutes of strolling, Rachel's mood suddenly leaped, "Ooo Finn, look!" She pointed to the crowded ice skating rink in the distance and Finn gulped. Why does he feel like he's going to end up on that ice soon? The petite brunette turned to him with wide, ecstatic eyes. "Can we go ice skating?" Of course his stupid ass didn't say something in time and she already started to give him the 'puppy dog' look which always leaves her victorious and him uncomfortable.

_"Please?"_ She pouted and he could almost see the amusement in her eyes as she did the one thing that leaves her winning every time. Finn could already feel a goofy grin slowly forming on his face, no matter how many times his self-conscious mind tried to talk him out of it.

"Sure, Rach. Anything for you..." She yanked his hand towards the rink and it finally took the cool winter breeze to snap him out of his lovesick induced stupor.

"Wait, Ra-"

"Wow, it's really crowded over here. They must've just used the zamboni." He sighed defeatedly. He's never getting out of this.

Once they got to the stand to buy skates they sat down on one of the crowded benches. Finn smiled softly at Rachel while she maneuvered her little feet into her worn out skates. Brows furrowed in concentration, she worked on the laces of her left skate, humming along to the music blasting from the speakers around the rink. He recognized the song as "_Sweet Pea_" by Amos Lee. He doesn't know how it's actually possible but just that silly action of hers only multiplied his imperishable adoration for her. Just by her determination for something simple as tying shoes seemed so adorable to him he had to find something to prevent him from kissing her senseless.

Sighing, he looked down at the skates on his large oafish feet, the laces mocking him more and more each minute. Finally he reached down and tried one lace. Somehow things got jumbled as he tried to remember the nursery rhyme he learned to tie his shoe in kindergarten. Unfortunately, the short song didn't apply to the stupid laces and he ended up with one big knot in his hands. Finn really tried his best not to just chuck the skates across the room.

A muffled giggle pulled him away from his current tying problem and he found his best friend sitting next to him with perfectly tied shoes, laughing behind the hand covering her mouth. Blush engulfed the people greeter's cheeks.

"Uh, Finn? Do you need help?" He scratched the back of his head sheepishly and looked at her pretty face from the corner of his eye.

"Is it that obvious?" A loud cackle in response returned as she got off of her seat and kneeled in front of him. She grabbed the wadded ball that was once his shoelaces and tried to untie it.

"Rachel, you really don't have to do this-"

"Oh, shut up, Finn," she interrupted with a smirk. After about what he believes was a second, she untied them and then re-tied his shoe tight. She moved to the next shoe.

"I just feel bad..." He said, looking down at her. "Here we are on a date- our first date, might I add, and you're tying my shoes." By the time he finished exclaiming, she finished, standing up goth a satisfied grin on her face.

She shrugged and said, _"So?"_ She was obviously repeating what he said earlier that day and he chuckled. Slowly he tried standing up on his own, and finally after about three wobbly attempts he made it, patting himself on the back in his head as Rachel walked ahead of him on the rink with ease.

As soon as his feet hit the ice, he swears his life flashed before his eyes, as he started to tumble already.

"Woah!" He immediately grasped the ice rink walls and took a deep calming breath. From ahead, he could already see the love of his life doing little tricks and extra twirls, as if she's been on the ice all her life.

"Okay..." He whispered, looking down at his shoes. With one foot, he moved, sliding the blade against the ice slightly. He started to use the other foot with ease once he got it.

"Hey, this isn't so bad." He smiled at Rachel who started to skate back towards him. Finn then decided to let go of the wall and sped up the pace...

* * *

"Ow, ow, ow, ow, _OW!_" Rachel cautiously and carefully, led a groaning Finn back to some benches in the park. With a relieved sigh, he plopped down on the old wooden seat and coiled slightly at the pointed gaze of his date.

"Finn," she crossed her arms. "Please be honest with me. You don't know how to ice skate, do you?"

He straightened up his back and widened his eyes. "Yes!" The jerky movement gave him a shot of pain through his back and he hissed, admitting, "No..."

"Why didn't you tell me?" She asked quietly. "You practically fell twenty nine-"

"-actually thirty-"

"- _thirty_ _times_," she finished. Finn sighed in defeat and slumped his sore shoulders.

"Okay, fine. I don't know how to roller skate. Actually, to be honest, I don't do well with anything that involves my feet. I mean, you saw my dancing at Mrs. Applebom's retirement party. I have no coordination at all," he looked up at her earnestly. "I just wanted to do it to make you happy." He could see her face start to soften. Score! "You wanted to ice skate so I was all for it." Smiling, went to sit down next to him and placed his hand in hers.

"Finn, you know you didn't have to do that. The date you planned for us was enough as it is. Don't ever do something uncomfortable in order to please me, because you already have," she leaned in and said, "okay?" He grinned at her.

"Okay." She reached over to kiss his cheek but he pouted.

"I think I busted my lip too, or something..." Grinning, she leaned over and kissed him properly on the lips, giggling slightly against his lips when he tried to deepen it. When they pulled apart she rolled her eyes playfully and shook her head. After a moment of silence, she perked up again.

"Hey, you know what we need? Some hot chocolate! I think I saw a concession stand not to far from the rink." She started to open her purse when his hand stopped her.

"Rach, you are _not_ buying us hot chocolate! I'll do it."

She scoffed and smirked, "Oh, please Finn! At this point you can't even get yourself to walk to the bathroom without whimpering in pain. Plus, you already paid for the picnic and the skating tickets. I think I can handle this one." With that she got up and walked away, leaving Finn to sit and shake his throbbing head.

That's his best friend: stubborn as always. But that's one of the many things on his list that he loves about her.

* * *

"You really outdid yourself, you know that right?" Lifting his head from hers, Finn looked down at the brunette in his arms. After a soothing cup of hot chocolate, the _"couple"_continued to relax and snuggle on the bench, making small conversation and just watching the world around them. From the bench next to them a guitarist was playing some soothing romantic songs, in hopes to be given money in exchange for his music.

"What?"

"Finn, you really didn't have to do all of this," she said, smiling. "I would've been perfectly fine with take out at your place, or eating dinner at the dinne-"

"Would you stop?" He interrupted frowning. "Stop belittling yourself, thinking that you don't deserve better. I wanted to do this. Because you deserve it," he gently poked at her chest the emphasize the word. "Don't think I'm just gonna avoid treating you because you're my best friend." Rachel grinned and nodded. "Okay." Finn kissed her forehead.

A moment of peaceful silence took over them again as the guitarist started to strum a new tune. It was one of the brunette's favorites so she had to hum along, to Finn's enjoyment.

_I think that possibly, maybe I'm falling for you...  
_  
The people greeter couldn't relate more to that line of the song. At the beginning, he thought the fluttering in his heart when Rachel and him were together was just a little crush, but now that he thinks about it, he sees that it's something much more than that.

Rachel sighed and continued to snuggle farther into him, the cool breeze giving her goosebumps. Or could it be the romantic love in the air bringing a chill down her spine? She didn't know what it was but she knew one thing. Nothing in this world could make her happier than in that moment.  
_  
No one understands me quite like you do,  
Through all of the shadowy corners of me...  
_  
"You know this song?" That's when Finn realized he was singing along too, to his embarrassment.

"Yeah," he said grinning playfully. He's squeezed her side, "Is that too hard to believe?"

"No," she laughed looking into his eyes. "I just didn't think that you knew this song of all love songs. He nodded. Suddenly, she yawned.

Finn looked down at her, concerned, "Hey, do you want me to take you home?" She sighed and laid her head on his coat covered shoulder.

"Yeah," she said. Rachel wrapped her arms tighter around his torso. "But I just want to stay here a little longer." Her brown eyes locked with his for a moment and he smiled at her before pecking her on the nose, continuing to look at the sights around them soon after.

Yep. Friday night was _most definitely_ awesome.

* * *

**There's your Finchel, guys! I know you guys have been anticipating for them to get together and I wanted to give you this chapter as a sorry for taking this long to update. I'd like to wish all of you a happy Easter for those who celebrate, and I will see you guys later!**

**Love,**

**~Vikki3775**


	18. Sick Twisted Schemes

**Hey guys! I know it's been awhile and I'm forever thankful for your patience!**

**Anyways, how did you guys like the last chapter? I know from some of you who left comments said that you liked it, which I am glad! I just thought it was time for these couples to finally get together! Basically this chapter is mainly about the aftermath of Valentine's Day. I hope you enjoy! Love you!**

**~Vikki3775**

* * *

"I'm telling you guys, it was amazing! After we saw Avatar at the movies, he took me to the most extraordinary Italian restaurant. Though, most of the time he talked in na'vi and impersonations, I learned so many things about him," Mercedes sighed and stared up at the ceiling in a trance, as if she were experiencing the date all over again. All of the other girls sighed longingly along with her, except for Santana who only grimaced at the thought.

"He talked about his feelings through _na'vi_?" She frowned and shook her head. "Honestly, it's nothing I would've not expected either." She leaned forward in her seat, suddenly interested. "So...did you at least get on them trouty lips yet? That's all we've really been talking about." The African American girl blushed.

"Maybe..." She rolled her eyes when the girls looked for more. "Never mind about me. Tina, how was your date?" All of the girls' attention landed on the asian girl. She smiled.

"It was great. We went to a nice restaurant, and...we told each other 'I love you'." A chorus of 'aww's' echoed through the staff room and the girl blushed.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa..." Kurt narrowed his eyes suspiciously and leaned in. "Did anyone notice anything different?"

"You guys know that I'm not wearing a bra?" Brittany piped in. She avoided the Latina's gaze that burned into her cheek during the whole time she spoke. Kurt sighed and shook his head.

"No." He beamed at Tina. "Tina lost her stutter!" Cheers and claps from the girls surrounded the 'girls/Kurt' circle. Tina grinned meekly and shook her head. They didn't even know that her stutter was fake. Oh well, not knowing isn't going to hurt anybody.

A creak from the door at the corner of the room stopped their little celebration as Rachel waltzed in daintily, a lovestruck countenance on her face.

"Uh, oh. Looks like someone else got the love bug last night." All the girls turned to look at the brunette as she continued to walk slowly, tripping on a chair that crossed her path on the way. All the girls burst out laughing when she slowly got up off of the floor, blush adorn on her cheeks.

Santana called out, "Hey, Berry! You finally rode the blubber train last night?" Rachel frowned at her as she walked towards them.

"Blubber train? W-What is that?"

"You know, did you do the ugly with blubber pants," when she still didn't get it, she sighed, "Did you do the nasty with Hudson?" The brunette's eyes widened.

"W-What?! No! I didn't have sex with Finn!"

"Then what's with that shit eating grin, Yentil? I only recognize it well because that's basically what all of these girls have been showing the past hour." Rachel was left speechless.

"Did you least go on a date?" Kurt asked. "I tried calling Finn, but he wouldn't answer."

Rachel chuckled nervously, "I did not go in a date with Finn." And before she could stop herself, she hastily added, "I-I actually went out with someone else." This intrigued the little group of girls as they turned their chairs towards the brunette.

"Oh really? So who might this 'guy' be?" Santana asked, with a raised brow. Gulping Rachel bit her lip.

"His name's..."

"Hey, girls! You're here early!" Will waltzed in the room, followed by the boys who immediately made their way towards their significant others, offering kisses on the cheek and hugs. Will walked in front of the room.

"So...I'm guessing everyone's Valentine's Day went swimmingly," he laughed at the employee's suddenly lovestruck and cuddly demeanor.

"How was your Valentine's Day, Will?" Artie asked, Tina seated on his lap. His previous uplifted demeanor faulted a little and he shrugged, sighing.

"Uneventful. You know I would've normally spent my Valentine's Day with my ex-wife, Terri, but since we got a divorce last year, I didn't have anyone to spend that day with." He then changed the subject, "Hey, where's Finn?" At this everyone turned to look at Rachel for an answer. She simply grinned at the mention of his absence.

"Oh, uh, he couldn't make it today. He has the flu."

"Oh, okay. Well when you see him later today, tell him that I hope he feels better." She nodded, not at all surprised at the fact that he knew she would be visiting him later.

Will sighed and turned around to write something on the board, "Okay..."

"Ssssp..." Rachel looked to her left at Kurt, who leaned on closer to her.

"Tell Finn he'd better get well soon. We have to discuss Carole and Burt's pending wedding plans, and I will not go near him if he's coughing, wheezing or emitting any infectious fluid in that apartment." Rachel giggled.

"Okay, Kurt."

"Also, Carole wants you to come too. She's going to be skyping us about the venue plans and we need an extra input." She nodded and smiled.

"I'll be happy to, Kurt." He grinned and leaned back in his seat.

She's got seven hours to go. Then she can tend to the sore giant that's sick at his apartment.

* * *

"Knock, knock.."

"Thedoor'sopened..." Rachel walked into the apartment, carrying a basket of 'get well' goodies. Sighing, she grinned at Finn's disarrayed position on the couch, tissues littered everywhere with a garbage pail vigil at his side. He appeared to be clutching some worn out blue cloth to his chest as he gazed at the television with watery half opened eyes, his nose crimson from all of the sneezing. She couldn't help coo softly at his adorable stature with loving concern. As she finally reached the side of his worn out comforter, he slowly tilted his head towards her and grinned wearily.

"Hey, work. How was Rachel?" She giggled at his jumbled response and kneeled in front of him. She placed a hand on his clammy forehead.

"I think you mean, how was work. It was fine. I missed you, though." She pouted. He chuckled slightly.

"I'm sorry..." He reached to grab her hand.

"See, and what did I tell you on Friday during our date? One of us was going to get sick and now you can't even get up without hissing in pain from your ice skating incident or wheezing uncontrollably because we sat in the cold for a picnic." He looked at her sheepishly.

"How come you didn't get sick?" Finn asked. "You're smaller than me, which means you must have a lower immune system than me."

"I never get sick." She turned around towards the coffee table and grabbed the nearby thermometer. "Being a aspiring Broadway actress requires you to stay healthy at all times. If I get even a small tickle in my throat, I overload with vitamins, and use the humidifier every night."

"Wow," he gaped at her. "You sure you don't want to share your healthiness with me?" He craned his neck closer to her in hopes for a kiss, before quickly retracting and letting out a big, "achoooo!". Rachel frowned.

"No thanks, babe. I've got enough to worry about here with you. Open up." He obliged and she placed the thermometer in his mouth.

"Iwikeehwheyoucameubabe," she frowned at him and pulled the thermometer out. 102.1. Not good.

"What did you say?"

"I said that I like that you call me ba-achoooo!" Leaning away from him, she gave Finn a tissue. He blew hard into it. When the petite diva finally understood what he said, she smiled.

"You do?" He nodded with a crooked grin. Grabbing some nearby medicine that reduces fever, she fills the small measuring cup with the purple syrup. He cringed.

"Ugh, do I have to take that?"

"Yes you do, you still have a fever, so open up." Rolling his eyes he swallowed the fluid and crinkled his nose in disgust, making him even more adorable in her eyes.

"See, that is why I don't like the grape flavored slurpee. I don't know how you like it." As he spoke her eyes wandered until they stopped again at the worn out baby blue cloth in his arms. She tilted her head curiously.

"Hey, what's that?" Noticing what she was pointing to, he tucked it further in his arms so that she couldn't see.

"N-Nothing."

"Come on, Finn. You're really not going to tell your best friend what you have in your hand?" Rachel rose an eyebrow at him before he relented relaxing his grip on the cloth so she could see it more.

Finn sighed and croaked out, "It's my McGee-Gee."

"Your Mc-what?"

He groaned, "It's my baby blanket. I've had it ever since I was a baby when my dad got it for me. I've always carried it whenever I felt bad or missed him." He looked down at it as he ran his fingers through the small, worn out holes. "I know it's dirty, and decrepit, but...it just reminds me of home...of where I came from." He finally looked up at her and asked, "Is that stupid?"

"No," she shook her head, "No Finn, it's adorable; admirable even." Suddenly Rachel smiled, "Ever since I was a baby, I had a teddy bear, his name is Mr. Snuggles." Finn laughed out at the blush on her cheeks as she gushed about her favorite toy.

"I still have it with me, you know. Every time I go to bed, I tuck in next to him. It's always been comforting to me." The people greeter reached to caress her arm.

"You never told me that."

"You never asked." She grabbed the cold compress from the coffee table and placed it on his forehead carefully. "I didn't think you would have had the same kind of connection to a toy, I thought I was the only one."

"You know you can tell me anything, Rachel." Her heart warmed at the sincere emotion in his baggy hazel eyes.

"I know that now," she leaned over and kissed his cheek.

"Hey, how come you're not laying in your bed? This can't be comfortable for you."

Finn coughed before saying, "Yeah, it isn't, but I wanted to make sure you knew where the key was. Plus I wasn't really able to get off this couch since I'm sore as fuck." Due to his language the brunette sent him a stern glance in which he grinned sheepishly under. "Sorry, baby."

Rachel smiled, "I like that." He frowned.

"Like what?" She blushed and ran a hand through his mussed hair.

"When you call me baby." The sick people greeter grinned goofily and reached his arm out a foot away from her face.

"Well, you are my baby." Still grinning, he shaped his hand as if he were trying to cup someone's cheek when in reality the only thing he was cupping was air. Wow, this sickness is so bad it's making him hallucinate. With widened amused eyes, Rachel nodded her head slowly and gently pulled his hand down.

"Okay...we're putting you to bed right now; _real bed_."

He pouted as he watched her stand up, "Will you at least cuddle with me? My McGee-Gee is nice and all but you're way better." The petite diva's heart melted at his request and couldn't find anything as adorable as him. Nodding, she tugged with all her might and pulled him off the couch. Wrapping her small arm around his torso they both started walking to his room.

"Hey, Rach?"

"Yeah, babe?"

"Did you make me any of your 'get well' cookies?" A loud cackle echoed through the hall as they turned the corner.

"Of course I did, Finn."

* * *

"Okay..." Santana waltzed up to her best friend's jewelry counter and quickly shrugged her coat in. "I am officially done with my long and absolutely pointless shift for the day." Suddenly interested, she leaned in with a raised brow and asked quietly, "Want to get out of here? I've got a spot on my bed with your name on it." The Latina winked but soon frowned when she noticed that the girl across from her wasn't sharing the same excitement.

Brittany sighed and continued to organize the jewelry displays by color and price. "Sorry, Santana. I'm staying late tonight. My parents took Lord Tubbington to a restaurant leaders seminar and won't be back until Friday, so the diner's closed until they come back." Her best friend rose a brow questioningly at Brittany's unusual tense stature as she responded, not even looking at her.

She sighed and crossed her arms, "Okay, what's up? I think you're forgetting that can practically read you like the back of my hand. Is this because your parents didn't let you watch over the diner? Because I'm not surprised they did, based upon the fire you set in the kitchen last yea-"

"You promised, Santana," Brittany interrupted. Her eyebrows furrowed as she looked at her straight on. The feisty girl almost gulped again at her intense blue eyes. "You promised that you would appear on my fondue show and you didn't! Just a text that said, "I can't."

She sighed, "Britt-"

"No, Santana! One minute you say you want to be with me, and the next you're hiding our relationship away like a turtle's head under its shell when they meet new people."

"Brittany, you don't understand." Santana said seriously. "Everything may be all sugar and rainbows with your family but it's not with mine. S-Someone could've found the video if I showed up an-"

"So what?!" She stared exasperatedly at her during a moment to tense silence. Turning around she picked up her work bag and coat.

"You know what? I love you Santana...no Im in love with you. And if you really loved me, all of those things you're afraid of wouldn't matter as much as it does." Santana watched with wide eyes as Brittany locked up her station turned off the light and walked away, leaving her standing alone facing the jewelry.

* * *

"Aright ladies, line up!"

Flustered and panting, 'Sue's kids' did just as she asked, some groaning and whining about needing their mothers.

"Woah, woah, woah..." The blonde lady pulled up her megaphone to her mouth. "Is that complaining I hear?! I know it can't be because I didn't get four consecutive stock and sale awards just for you to complain about being dehydrated and malnourished."

"But Sally has diabetes!" An african American girl piped out.

"Well, then she shouldn't have eaten so much food like a pig, now should she?!" From the far left of the assembly line, Quinn rolled her eyes.

"Now..." The blonde coach started pacing as she eyes all of her employees. "Since you guys are so ungrateful and out of shape, I took it upon myself to bring back something that would fix your lazy asses real quick."

"Oh no..." A girl Quinn recognized as Isabella muttered next to her.

Snapping her fingers, Sue looked at the direction of the gym exit, smirking when a row of fully built men walked in carrying multiple Sue's sports bottles. It wasn't until Quinn got a closer look at the bottles that she realized each one had their names on them.

As the men handed them out, Sue continued, "Years ago, when my business was lower than average and I was short about two awards, I used this tactic to get my employees in shape. What you are holding in your hand is "Sue's Master cleanse". Don't ask me what's in it, just know it will keep you in shape and fit enough for the new uniforms I'm getting my stylist Sandy Ryerson to do for me." A bottle was then shoved into Quinn's hands.

"So drink up, ladies. And be prepared for a whole month of Sue Sylvester extreme weight training." As the girls sipped at their drinks, they walked away, some complaining about weird textures in their beverages while others gagged. After about two minutes of pretending to sip, Quinn took the opportunity to make her way towards her "favorite" coach.

"Sue?" She turned around and smirked at who she saw.

"Well, if it isn't my twin." The former Walmart employee rolled her eyes in her head. "What can I do for you Quinn?"

Turning her faulty charms on, Quinn smiled at her, "Um...about the master cleanse..."

"If you're going to tell me you can't drink it, I don't want to hear it-"

"No, no! That's not it. I um...I actually wanted to know if I could get some more of the drink..." When she narrowed her eyes, she rushed to continue, "You know, for fitness purposes. I have been gaining some weight recently. Too many tacos," she patted her stomach and grinned sheepishly.

Sue nodded slowly. "I know what you're trying to do."

She gulped, her heart pounding. "Yo-You do?"

"Yep." She suddenly smiled. "You want to be just like me!"

The blonde chuckled nervously, "Y-Yeah!" I-I just admire you _so _much." She bit her lip to prevent herself from scoffing.

"Well can I be honest with you, Quinn?" She nodded. "Out of all of the employees I've had, you remind me most of a young Sue Sylvester. You just don't have my bone structure," she explained as she eyed her up and down. Sue gave her the extra bottle of the toxic drink and patted her on the back.

"No go on now, you successor, you." With an awkward smile, the blonde did just that and exited the gym.

Once she felt the cool breeze of New York City, she pulled her phone out."

"Hello?"

"Yeah, Kelly? It's Quinn Fabray. I've got the stuff." She heard a squeal on the other end.

"Oh, great! Now all i'll have to do is send a few samples to the scientists to find out what's in it! Gosh, it's really nice of you to help me Quinn."

After about a few minutes of talking on the phone, they hung up. Quinn turned around and faced the establishment that was about to get a rude awakening.

"Sue Sylvester, watch out. You've just awoken a sleeping giant. With a smirk, she turned around and walked to her car.

* * *

**So there ya go! Just a little fun chapter for you guys. At least until I get out of school. Well, I'll see you in my next update! Bye!**

**~Vikki3775**


	19. Lies and Fake Relationships

**Hello, people! I'm glad you guys liked the last chapter. It was just something cute to keep you guys over.**

**Oh, and the reviews you guys gave me for "The Man Who Can't Be Moved" is amazing! I'll probably post the next chapter of the story near the end of July. I have time now so be prepared for a lot of updates!**

**Alright, back to the chapter, I hope you guys like this one! Spoiler alert: Incoming drama!**

* * *

"Hello, welcome to Walmart." Finn's smile faltered a bit when a family of four didn't even recognize his tall frame as they walked into the superstore. Brushing it off, he smiled at the next customer who walked in.

"Welcome to Walmar-"

"Why don't you just burn yourself?" An older man sneered. With wide cautious eyes, the people greeter shared a cautious look with one of the newly hired security guys who stood close by to the entrance, as the the older customer continued to walk slowly into the store with his walker.

"Gosh, dude, that's hard core." Finn turned around and watched as Puck approached him with his lunch bag. "Hey when's your shift ending?"

He checked his watch, "Uh, in about two minutes. Why?"

"The guys and I are meeting up at the store's Subway to hang out and eat our lunch."

Finn grinned apologetically. "Oh, sorry man. I promised I would have lunch with Rachel," he exclaimed.

Tensing his shoulders, the mohawked man made a hissing sound with his mouth. "Yeah, about that...we've gotta tell you something dude."

* * *

"So why are we eating our lunch in a circle?" The petite brunette looked around at her fellow co workers in confusion and started unpacking her lunch.

Santana rolled her eyes, "Duh, to get information, of course."

Rachel frowned, and stopped unpacking her lunch bag. "About what?"

* * *

"God, this sandwich is _so _good..." Sam muttered as he dug his face into his Italian sub. Puck whacked him on the shoulder.

"Dude, come on. This is about Finn."

The people greeter was still confused, "Why is this about me? And what?" From across the table, the boys shared a look between each other before setting their eyes on their friend.

* * *

"We want to know about your date." When she opened her mouth to speak, Kurt interrupted, "And don't think you can get by this time. Everyone here shared last week about their dates and I can still ask Finn if he knows anything."

* * *

"How are you feeling, man?" Finn shrugged at Mike and ate a chip.

"Fine. I still have a little cough, but overall I'm fine-"

"We're not talking about your health, Finn. We're talking about your heart, " Artie clarified. Finn frowned.

"Huh?"

* * *

The customer service employee's heart raced as she bit her lip.

"Well... he was, sweet. And so romantic." She thought about Finn and the date they had, and it couldn't help but bring a smile to her face. "We had a nice little picnic in Central Park-"

"In Central Park?! When it's freezing as hell outside?"

Rachel giggled at Santana's face and nodded, "Yeah, he isn't the most ideal creative thinker when it comes to planning dates, but it was still very sweet."

"Wow, the only time I've seen this face on her was when she talks endlessly about Finn," Mercedes observed with a smile.

"Does Finn know about the date you had?" Tina asked.

"Well-"

"Shoot, I don't care about that! I just want to know who this punk's name is and where we can track him down," Santana huffed.

She knew this question was going to pop up eventually. Is it too early to tell them who she went out with in Friday or is it the perfect time? Pros and cons jumbled over and over in her head, confusing her when all of a sudden she blurted out, "Um, his name's..._Jessie_! His name's Jessie."

Nodding in satisfaction, Mercedes and Tina pulled out their phones and sent out a text.

* * *

"We heard about Rachel, dude. Sorry."

At the sound of his best friend's name, Finn became panicked. "Wh-What about Rachel? Is she okay?"

"Man, he's already concerned about her and we didn't even get to explaining yet." Artie looked at Puck and bit into his sandwich, his mouth full when he says, "This is bad."

The people greeter groaned. "Guys, just tell me what's going on?"

"Rachel's dating someone," Puck explained as he sent a sympathetic look to his best friend. "All of us heard it from the girls. It's all they ever talk about lately and it's getting mad fucking annoying."

Finn grinned and took a sip of his soda. It's too bad he already knows the guy. Him.

Mike decides to speak, "We don't know his name yet, though, but we just wanted to see how you were doing-"

Sam interrupted him, "Wait! I got a text from Mercedes!" He looked down at his phone. "Apparently his name's Jessie-"

The cola that was once in his mouth spurted out all at once, hitting the guys across the table. Well he didn't expect that. Groans of protest followed soon after as the guys wiped themselves off. After a moment of coughing, and catching his breath he choked out, "Who?!"

Artie continued, "His name's Jessie. Tina just found out from Rachel. She met him at some music store." Across from him, Finn just stared at his four-eyed friend blankly, blinking only two minutes at a time.

"So she didn't tell you?" Puck asked.

Finn was in loss of words, "W-Well she s-well, she didn't t-tell me who it was..."

"...I'm sorry man." All four guys looked at him sympathetically for the second time that day. "We really thought you two would finally get together. We thought you would finally get to tapping Berry."

The giant didn't even think of defending Rachel, for he was so surprised.

_Why would she lie?_

* * *

"So why can't she be in the wedding?"

"I-It's her posture. I asked her to do one simple task, Finn, and she failed!"

"She's _just three_, Kurt!" At the dinner table beside the two boys, Rachel giggled while Blaine grinned and shook his head. They were out eating pizza tonight, mainly because they just didn't feel like cooking and cleaning at their apartments.

"Babe, I don't think it's that serious. I mean, she is your baby cousin after all." Blaine said.

"I don't care." He shook his neatly groomed head stubbornly. "I will not have Emily ruin the one chance I have to plan my only dad's wedding. I mean, I already missed out on his first one."

"That's because you weren't even born yet!" Finn retorted with a roll of his eyes. At Rachel's giggle he grinned before silently and subtly trying to intertwine their hands on the pizzeria table. He frowned when her petite hand wiggled out of his grasp before being placed in her lap.

Rachel decided to step in, "Kurt, honestly, she's just going to be the flower girl. All she's doing is setting some flower petals down on the aisle before standing next to the bridesmaids."

"She doesn't even do that right! She doesn't distribute the petals even enough and I'm sick and tired of having to buy more of them." He huffed.

"Well then why don't you just buy fake ones?" Finn but his lip to hide his laughter at the over dramatic gasp that escaped the Walmart employee's lips as he stared at his boyfriend incredulously.

"_Are you crazy_?! I guess then I might as well just give all the bridesmaids fake ones too, huh?" He said sarcastically.

Blaine sighed, "Kurt that's not what I mea-"

"And give Carole a dress found from a thrift shop, have the guests bring their own food to the reception like it's a freaking picnic or better yet, have them exchange ring pops at the wedding ceremony! Do you even know me at all!" As Kurt continued to rant at a very scared Blaine, Finn sipped from his soda before looking at Rachel seated at his right. Daringly, he pulled his right arm out from under the table and slowly attempted to wrap it around her shoulders in attempt to cuddle her close to him. With another frown he watched as she wiggled out of his grasp before announcing that she was going to the bathroom.

He's very confused right now. More confused than when he was told that he couldn't communicate to Jesus through a grilled cheese sandwich (you had to be there). After about two minutes of listening to Kurt try to convince his boyfriend that the little girl wouldn't be able to throw some flower petals on the floor, Finn stood up and silently excused himself to go find where she really went. After searching for her for five minutes, he finally found her outside, her back leaning against the dirty brick building. Rachel turned to look at him and smiled.

"Hey." He grinned slightly.

"Hi." It was silent for a moment before Finn spoke again.

"So why'd you come out here?"

She giggled. "The same reason you did. I love Kurt, I really do, but I can only hear so much about the food, decorations, venue plans-"

"And the flower girl?" She nodded and he chuckled softly.

"Yeah." He watched as she stared out at the NYC streets in a slight daze.

"Hey, Rach?"

"Hmm?" She turned to look at him.

He gulped, "U-Um...I would've asked this question earlier if I knew the answer, but...what are we exactly?" He looked down at the ground bashfully in order to avoid looking at her facial expression.

He heard her sigh, "Finn..."

He rose his head and looked at her. "I mean, I thought that after we went on our da-date that we were officially together, but I heard from the guys that you said you are dating some guy named Jessie and I'm just really confused right now, because I thought we had something going on, and now I-" A kiss at the corner of his lips cut him off and he blushed as she pulled back and smiled at him.

"You're so cute when you ramble, you know that?" She took one of his hands in hers and swung them slightly.

"Yeah, but Rachel-"

"Do you care about me, Finn?" Her big brown eyes stared into his. Was she serious? He scoffed at the unsure look in her eyes.

"Of course I do..." He reached out to gently caress her cheek. "Do-Do you?"

She nodded continuously, "Yes I do, _very _much...and I know you heard about my conversation with the girls." Rachel bit her lip.

He frowned and said, "Yeah, I did. And you said something about this guy named Jessie? D-Do I know him? Is-Is he bigger than me?" He tried not to make his voice sound too jealous but the tone of his voice couldn't be held back.

"Honestly Finn, no one can beat your size." Rachel giggled for a moment before composing herself when he didn't reciprocate the same emotion.

She sighed, "Finn...Jessie, is a real guy...but I only said his name because the girls were pressuring me to admit that we went out last Friday. I met him at Marcus' Music Store- you know, the little record/music store around the corner that I just love?" The giant nodded. "We bonded over Broadway musicals and-and classic rock-"

"I thought classic rock was _our _thing?" He muttered sadly. The look he gave her transformed into one of a disappointed seven year old, rather than one of a twenty-five year old Walmart employee.

Rachel sighed and grinned sadly, "Finn, it's not like that."

"Well, then what is it? What are we?" The petite brunette walked up to him and wrapped her little arms around his torso, her chin resting on his chest as she looked up at him.

She shrugged "Well, I don't know. But I do know what I want us to be. The question is, if you feel the same." The corners of his lips curled up slightly as he stared into her hopeful brown orbs.

"If you're hinting at us being boyfriend and girlfriend, I find that silly." With a crushed expression, Rachel tried pulling away from him but was stuck as Finn held onto her a little tighter.

"Wh-What?" She whispered.

"I find that silly that you would think any different about me," he continued softly. A smile slowly spread on her face and she used one of her free hands to playfully slap him on the arm.

"Ow!"

"Finn! You almost scared me to death!" He laughed and pulled her back into his arms.

"Sorry, baby. But hey," he ruffled her brunette locks lightly, "you're my little soldier. You'll get over it." She sighed happily and nuzzled her head back into his chest. There was a soothing moment of silence as they just held each other on the Manhattan sidewalk, each of them secretly excited at the prospect of their newly began relationship.

"Now that we finally have our relationship figured out, will you let me hold your hand in public now?" He rubbed her back soothingly. At his question, she pulled her head away from his chest and pouted.

He knew that look was coming. "Rach..." Finn whined.

"Can we just...keep this act up for awhile?" She asked. "I-I already told the girls about Jessie and it would be a shame to turn back and say that everything I told them was a lie. Plus...I kind of want you to myself for awhile. Just you and me? Is that too selfish?" Rachel made sure to stare up at him adoringly.

"No, no it's just..." He rubbed a hand over his face and let out a breath, "...what if they want to meet him? You know, give him a whole integration."

She giggled and scrunched up her nose, "I think you mean _interrogation_."

He nodded. "Yeah, that. I just-I don't want to compete with a dude that isn't even really dating you."

"You won't have to," Rachel reassures with a smile. "Because he isn't more than six feet tall, clumsy, yet incredibly sweet, or a drummer that has kick ass people greeting skills at superstore entrances." He smirked down at her.

"Did you just curse? Am I really hearing this for the first time?" He questioned.

She smirked and winked, "Don't get used to it." After a minute of them chuckling, the begging switch turned back on as the customer service employee looked back up at him under her eyelashes.

"Pwease?"

"Baby talk isn't gonna work, soldier."

"C'mon, Finn, please? It'll be quick an-and... I'll cook for you to make up for it...anything you want." She offered. The petite diva bit back her smirk when he saw his facade dissolve.

"_Annnddd_?" He drawled out with a raised eyebrow.

She sighed defeatedly and slumped her shoulders. "And I'll watch any of your favorite movies with you. For a whole month."

"That's my girl." Finn grinned and reached down to kiss her cheek, but before he could, the ringing bells coming from the pizzeria door pulled them apart as a tired Blaine walked out, followed by a still ranting Kurt.

"I mean, you'd think that lady would've been thankful that I found those ugly scrubs she wanted in her size, but no! The woman had the nerve to give me attitude."

Blaine grinned tiredly and wrapped his arm around his boyfriend as they approached the couple. "Just let it go, Kurt." That's when they noticed them.

"What have you guys been doing out here this whole time? Talking about Jessie, I assume?" Kurt wiggled his eyebrows suggestively. From beside her, Rachel felt Finn tense.

She decided to explain, "Um...no, we were just-"

"Yeah, Kurt." The brunette looked up at her boyfriend in surprise as he continued to speak, "Rachel decided to just break the news to me that she has a boyfriend, one whom her best friend hasn't even met yet."

"So we're planning to meet up with him so he can finally approve." The diva added in.

Their friend jumped up and down excitedly and squealed. "That is just fantastic! So when are we going to meet him?!" Uh oh.

Finn tried to save the day, "W-Well, you see Kurt-"

"Saturday." The brunette can already feel Finn's widened eyes staring into the side of her head as she said, "This Saturday."

"Ooh, I can't wait! Send me your outfit plans for Saturday night. I want to make sure you look more like girlfriend material and less like...that." He pointed at the outfit she was currently wearing which was a burgundy owl sweater, gray plaid shirt, with tights and patent leather shoes.

"Hey, I like the way she dresses," Finn protests, to the happiness of Rachel. Kurt simply rolls his eyes.

"Whatever." After hugging both Rachel and Finn, he starts walking away, yelling, "C'mon Blaine! We don't want to be late to our movie date with Sam and Mercedes!" Sighing the curly haired waiter looked at Finn and Rachel and frowned playfully.

"Thanks for leaving me hanging in there, guys." Finn chuckled and patted his back.

"No problem, man."

"_Blaine_!"

"I'm coming, I'm coming! Bye guys." After waving their friend goodbye, Rachel cringed slightly at her best friend/boyfriend's pointed gaze as they walked down the street to their cars also.

"A meet up, Rach? _Really_?"

"C'mon Finn, you promised." She pouted again, and the people greeter frowned playfully and kissed her on the forehead as he interlaced her fingers with his.

"You're lucky you're cute."

* * *

With a wide grin, Kelly, placed the stack of folders on the café table. "I've got the evidence."

From across from her, Quinn swallowed some of her coffee and said, "You did?" She leaned in closer in her seat, suddenly interested.

The dirty blond nodded eagerly and opened the manila folder, "I wanted to send the samples you gave me to the

_"Institute of Food Research"_that is located in the UK, but the process would've taken too long. Luckily I was able to contact the professor in charge of the _Department of Food Science _at the University of Penn State to do the inspecting. He was more than happy to get his students started on it and was willing to be witnesses for the impending court date set against Sue."

Quinn scooted her seat closer to the woman and picked up a piece of paper, analyzing it. "So what did they find? Anything bad?"

She nodded, her eyes widening, "Oh trust me, there's some bad stuff." Filing through the papers she blurted out an, "Aha!" before picking up the right sheet of paper and putting on her glasses.

"Okay, so the D.F.S did a lot of tests concerning the overall healthiness of this supposed _"master cleanse"_. These tests included one where one student volunteered to spend four days on this cleanse for results. The following liquids and foods were found in this drink: cayenne pepper, ipecac, a fetus' placenta, lemon, and maple syrup." At this reveal, Quinn cringed, suddenly grateful for not drinking the fatal fluid.

"So there weren't any margarita mixes blended in the drink?"

She shook her head, "No. That was just a myth. But it probably would've been better than the samples of placenta found in the drink." Both women grimaced.

"Gosh, I can't believe her!" Quinn said, enraged. "She doesn't care about anybody else's well being. And you mean to tell me no one said anything about this until now?"

"Not that I know of," Kelly replied. She put on her black reading glasses a as she examined the page some more. "But my lawyer did say that there were some previous reports regarding Sue's cruel treatment but soon disappeared due to what she assumes is _"hush money"_. Quinn sighed and rolled her eyes. Just like she expected. Money is power in this world and Sue used that as an advantage to get out of trouble. Aside from Puck and Kelly, no one else really knew about Sue's dangerous secrets, including her ex-co-workers at Walmart. It sort of makes her wish she could tell them.

"Am I able to tell anyone? My last co-workers at Walmart would really like to hear this." Quinn pleaded.

"My lawyer said it would be best to keep this case enclosed between the both of us for awhile." She watched as the twenty-five year old's hopeful look dropped from her face. "But...I guess it wouldn't be that bad If you gave them the heads up." She smiled.

Quinn visibly relaxed and beamed, "Oh, thank god! Do you know how annoying it is to only talk about this to a person who finds Super Mario Brothers entertaining?!" The older woman laughed from across from her.

"Well, now you can share this to other people." From across from her, Quinn nodded. It was nice to know that justice will soon be served, that she can return back the job she once left, because let's face it: the grass is much greener on the other side.

* * *

Rachel walked into her favorite vinyl music store anxiously in hopes for finding her fellow friend in the aisle labeled, _"Show Tunes/Broadway"_. To say she's been a little bit on edge is an understatement. Her and Jessie have been on good terms, (aside from a few little debates involving which Wicked song was better), and she likes to think that it will stay that way. She just hopes he's here today, where she can break the news to him on how she unintentionally mentioned his name in a conversation involving her love life. They never exchanged numbers so this was the only time she was able to reach him without following his every move. So you can only guess her relief when she saw him standing right where she wanted him: at their spot.

As she walked closer to her side-kick in musical crime, she halted as soon as his voice sounded through the area. "You know, for someone as small and petite as you, you seem to be terrible at sneaking behind your friends." She stopped and smiled as Jessie slowly turned around with a smirk.

"Hi, Rachel."

"Hey, Jessie." She said tensely.

"Now, is there a reason why you were tiptoeing just now or were you trying to make yourself seem taller?"

The brunette scoffed as she walked closer to him, "What?! N-No, I wasn't sneaking behind you, I was just-"

"Rachel."

She groaned and threw her head back, "Okay, fine." She sighed and bit her lip and she set her brown eyes on his blue ones. "I sort of have a favor to ask."

Suddenly interested, the curly haired man grinned slyly and crossed his arms, saying, "What kind of favor?"

"You see...Monday when I was at work, I was badgered by my co-workers about who I went on a date with on Valentine's Day because they all shared about there's and I haven't. They kept on pressuring me and pressuring me and I sort blurted out your name when I answered them and now my _actual _boyfriend knows about the lie and I'm just really scared that I'll be judged or Finn will break up with me, and I-I really don't know what to do abou-" a hand covering her mouth silenced her.

Jessie chuckled and said, "It's funny. Right when I start to forget how feverish your voice gets when you're nervous, you always remind me." He took his hand off her mouth. "So you mean to tell me, through all that gibberish, you told the girls that _I _am your _boyfriend _instead of Finn and you don't know how to get out of the lie without hurting your friends?"

"Yes," she meekly said.

"And let me guess...you want me to play as your pretend boyfriend until you finally find the guts to tell them that your long time best friend and co-worker is actually your boo, instead of some random guy you met at a music store?"

"Well, when you put it like that, it makes me seem horrible..." The petite diva muttered, head downcast. Laughter emitted from the curly haired man across from her as she watched her friend practically kill himself in laughter.

She gaped, "Wha-it's not funny, Jessie!"

When he finally calmed down, he said, "Rachel...you want me to be your _fake boyfriend_?! For how long?-Wait, no, I have a girlfriend!"

The brunette scoffed, "What, Harmony? The only thing I've ever heard from you are bad things about her! And it's not like we'd actually be doing anything." She shrugged.

"How does Finn feel about this plan?" He asked. "Because this sounds absolutely crazy-"

"He's not exactly thrilled at the idea, " she answered, frowning. "No boyfriend would, but we just became official and the guys at my job are really intense and tend to over-exaggerate when it comes to us and our love life." It was silent as he pondered this.

"You know, I'll have to tell my girlfriend about this," he said after a while.

"I know," she nodded in understanding.

"And you'll have to find a way to make it up to me," he added, with a raised eyebrow.

Rachel sighed and opened her arms tiredly, "Honestly, I've been owing a lot of people things lately."

He pursed his lips and eyed her for a moment before relenting, "Okay, fine. I'll be your fake boyfriend."

"Yay!" The customer service employee beamed as she pounced on him in a great big hug, despite his protests. Some fellow customers looked their way in curiosity in which they just brushed off.

"So when do I start being your '_fake bae'_?"

She let go of him and bit her lip anxiously again. "Friday?" She squeaked. At his wide eyes she rushed to explain, "K-Kurt kept on asking me when everyone can meet you and I-I sort of blurted out a random day. I hope you don't have any plans with Harmony that night."

He sighed and shook his head, outstretching a hand between them. "You're lucky she's on another business trip this week. Now give me your phone."

She frowned, "Why?"

Jessie rolled his eyes. "I can't be your fake boyfriend if I don't have your number," he said in a _"duh"_tone.

She rushed to hand it to him, "Here." As she watched him place his number in her contacts, she internally smiled. No, convincing her co-workers that she's in love with another man won't be easy, (especially when she knows herself that she's madly in love with her best friend) but she knows she'll be able to push through it.

She just hopes her boyfriend is as optimistic as she is.

* * *

**There ya go, guys! Honestly, this idea just popped out as I was writing this and I thought this story could use a little more flava, so...ta da!**

**Anyways, I probably won't be updating this story for awhile because I want to finish up Talking to the Moon and do two more chapters of The Man Who Can't Be Moved before I continue-you know get all of the other stuff out of the way.**

**So that's it, guys, I hope you liked this chapter! Reviews are always welcome and feel free to share this story with your friends!**

**Love,**

**~Vikki3775**


	20. Skating Around the Truth

**Hey guys! Yeah, I know it's been awhile since I updated with this story but I wanted to finish talking to the moon and get the man who not be moved started before I continued. So here it is! Please review if you can. I really appreciate what you guys have to say!**

**~Vikki3775**

* * *

"So let's do a quick review. Where did we meet?"

"Marcus' music store, at the show tunes section."

"What's my favorite color?"

"Pink."

"What are the names of the first five Broadway shows I first sa-"

"Rachel, come on!" An exasperated Jessie chuckled at his friend seated beside him in the back seat of a cab. "This is getting ridiculous. I'm pretty sure your friends won't quiz me on everything you've possibly ever done in your life."

"Jessie, I just want to be prepared," she took one of his hands in hers and squeezed it, her eyes pleading. "Please, just cooperate with me?"

He nodded before raising an eyebrow at her. "You know you could just tell them, right? Then all of this wouldn't be necessary."

"I just need a little more time," she said reassuringly. "We-We just started a new relationship and I don't want it to be jeopardized before we even really get somewhere." A ring coming from her bedazzled phone paused their conversation and the brunette smiled when she saw who it was. She pressed the phone to her ear.

"Hello?"

From the other side of the line, Finn sighed as he looked around the building uncomfortably. "Baby, why are we meeting Jessie at a roller rink?"

She sighed but smiled as she said, "Because, Jessie's good at it and he wants to make a good impression." She looked over at him and shook her head when the curly haired man gave her the "leave me out of this," look.

"Yeah, but you know I'm not a good skater. Hell, most of the people in the tri-state area knows I'm a klutz." He gaped at one of the skaters who suddenly zoomed past him.

"You'll be fine," she reassured. "Plus, you'll have Artie with you and there's a huge arcade there that I know you want to test out."

"But Rach-"

"Please Finn?" It was silent for a moment and Rachel actually thought he hung up in her, but when he finally answered, she relaxed in her seat.

"You owe me a round of ski-ball as soon as you get here, missy." She giggled, imagining his goofy grin through the phone.

"Okay."

"And some alone time when this thing is over."

She smiled. "Deal. I'll see you you in a few, Finn."

"Bye, Rach."

When she hung up, her face blushed as she saw the knowing grin coming from her friend.

"I swear, you two could be a married couple with the way you guys act towards each other."

She scoffed and blushed to herself as she said, "No we're not. L-Look Jessie, please be good, okay? I know you're capable of being nice, but some of my friends are...special and I don't want you to be taken aback by the way some of them act."

"Oh please, Rachel. You're little friends can't scare me. " He smiled cockily. "I was born for this."

That's what he thought, until they entered the building and was horrified with the amount of rambunctiousness going on at the foosball table.

From the table, Puck shook his head deniably as he said, "No, no, _hell_ no! I won! Just face it, Hudson! You got your ass kicked!"

"Did you not just see what happened?!" The people greeter said loudly from across of him. "You lost dude! And Artie's got the proof on film." He turned towards his friend in the wheelchair who stared at him obliviously, wide eyed.

"Wait, I was supposed to film?"

Sam groaned from behind him and shook his friend's shoulders, "Dude, you had one job!"

"And shouldn't he be there right now?" Brittany asked obliviously. From beside her, Santana simply smiled and shook her head no, patting her on the back.

The Latina groaned. "Gosh, can you guys stop fucking whining and move on already? I wants to get my skate on."

Puck rolled his eyes and retorted, "No, you wants to get your lady kisses-"

"Don't test me, Puckerman." She walked up closer to him and they both stared each other down.

And as everyone was talking at once, Rachel watched on incredulously.

"_Ahem_."

Everyone stopped what they were down by and looked directly at the 'couple'. Then, as if they were a flock of pigeons pecking at bread, they rushed over, all trying to get a good look at their friend's new 'man'.

After many uncomfortable minutes, she spoke again. "Everyone, I would like you to meet my boyfriend, Jessie." She smiled as Jessie wrapped an arm around her for good measure.

Santana looked him up and down for a moment with narrowed eyes before saying, "Yeah...I don't see it."

Rachel frowned, "S-See what?"

The Latina shrugged simply."I just thought that the way you were describing him, he would've turned out...different."

Jessie leaned over to the brunette's ear and whispered, "Should I be offended, or..."

"Well, I think he looks nice," Kurt added, walking closer in front of them. He shook his hand. "I'm Kurt. You probably already know that, though."

He peeked up. "Oh, yes! Rachel talks about you all the time."

He laughed with a quirked brow and cut his eye at the blushing brunette. "Oh really?"

Mercedes then decided to introduce herself, "I'm Mercedes." She walked up to him and shook his hand also, eyeing him with a smirk on her lips. "Damn, Rachel! You've got a pretty white boy on your hands!" From beside her Sam cleared his throat. With a giggle she turned around and caressed his face.

"No need to worry, babe." She laughed when he nodded and kissed her cheek.

"I'm Sam," he greeted, nodding at them.

"Nice to meet you."

"The girl who just totally objectified you is Santana," Artie said as he and Tina approached them. "I'm Artie and this is my girlfriend Tina. That girl next to Santana is Brittany. She can be a little ditzy sometimes."

"Hey, Berry, how come no one told me we would be skating in the dark?" Puck crossed his arms and frowned.

The brunette sighed and said,"We did, Noah. I told you that it was glow in the dark night, remember? I sent everyone an e-mail and a text."

He scoffed, "Like anyone still uses e-mail anymore." He nodded at Jessie in which he returned reluctantly.

As if everyone knew what would happen next, they all focused their attention of Finn to see how he would act. Walking slowly up to the '_couple_,' he grinned lopsidedly and reached out his hand.

"Hi, I'm Finn." They both shook hands and Jessie grinned.

"Jessie. It's a pleasure to meet the guy Rachel talks about endlessly."

Finn rose his eyebrows. "_Endlessly_? Every time we hang out she constantly raves about how 'doting her boyfriend is'." He bit his lip to keep from laughing.

Catching the humor of it, Jessie nodded and smirked, "Yep. That's just how caring I am; _her boyfriend_."

The brunette decided to move things along and clapped her hands eagerly. "Okay, why don't we get to skating! Jessie is a wonderful skater, you know."

He shrugged off her compliment and added, "I'm not that good. Skating just runs in my family's blood, I guess."

"Good, because I'm going to need all the help I can get," Kurt added as he tied his skates. Standing up, he toppled over a nearby chair with wobbly legs.

The Latina laughed as she tied Brittany's shoes. "There you go, Petunia!"

"Finn, are you coming?" From his seat, the Walmart employee shook his head.

"I'm good, Rach," he said softly. "I think it's best for me, and everyone else, that I stay here."

"Are you sure you won't be lonely? Or bored?"

"Babe, look around," he motioned around him before adding, "there's practically every possible game in this place. Instead of worrying about me, you should be worrying about your little broadway friend spilling our secret over there." They glanced at the rink where he was already exchanging an animated conversation with Kurt and Mercedes. "Plus, I'm not entirely alone. I've got Artie, who I can't seem to find right now." He frowned as he scanned over the area.

"Oh, he's playing Pacman."

"Oh."

"I'm fine." Taking a chance, she took one of his hands in hers and pouted.

"Are you sure?"

He mocked her expression and said, "Yes I'm sure." She grinned softly, rolling her eyes. "Now go skate, soldier."

She sighed softly and said, "Okay," before retreating back to the rink with ease. Finn watched her retreating form in awe.

"How does she do that..." Finn muttered to himself.

* * *

"_Die_, blue ghost, _die_!" Artie chanted rather loudly as he moved the game nozzle to the left quite roughly. From behind him, a crowd of people gathered around as they watched him try to make the high score on Pacman, one that hasn't been beat since 1983.

From right beside him, Finn gaped at the game in awe. "Dude, you have just two dot-thingies left before you win."

"Thanks captain obvious," he muttered, his gaze on the screen never wavering. "If I can just get this last dot..." And just like he said, a minute later, a light on the screen flashed, the words 'high score' filling the small area. The small crowd of geeks cheered from behind him. Slowly, Artie turned his wheelchair around, his chest puffed out confidently.

"And that, ladies and gentleman, is how you make a new record. Now if you would follow me, I would love to show you how I strategize my techniques on that Tetris game over there." As he wheeled in the direction of the arcade game, the small group of teenagers followed behind eagerly. Finn grinned, taking a sip of his sofa before glancing back at the rink.

He smiled at what he saw before him. Brittany and Santana were skating around the rink, hand in hand while Puck was leaning against the wall near them, texting someone with a serious look on his face. Mercedes and Sam were locked in their own little world, playing a little game of tag as they chased each other on the wooden floor. Jessie and Kurt seemed to be in a heated conversation which looked like a debate about some Broadway show or whatever, Tina and Rachel laughing at the scene as they skated lightly on their feet.

As soon as his eyes landed on the petite silhouette of his girlfriend, it was hard to take them off. He examined every movement of her hips, every soft glide her legs as she made herself at home on the wooden floor. With her highlighter pink t-shirt and white skirt, she stood out perfectly under the black lights. He watched as she twirled a little with Tina, a loud laugh escaping her lips as she threw her head back, the apple of her cheeks rosy red.

She was adorable.

And here he was, drowning himself in coke and stale nachos, all for a girl he's already so in deep with.

After a while of admiring her, Finn caught Rachel's eye and watched as she beamed at him before waving. Waving back, he smiled and chuckled as she happily mouthed to the song playing from the speakers which was 'tainted love' by soft cell. The brunette looked so happy where she was now, despite being behind this lie, and he wouldn't change a thing. As long as he gets see her smile everyday.

But she's also not fooling him.

See, he knows his best friend. She may be able to sell the whole, "you don't have to skate" bull crap to anyone else, but she's not fooling him, not with the way she's longingly glancing at him from time to time.

With a defeated sigh, he stood up slowly and made his way to the skate rental booth.

* * *

Have you ever experienced a moment in your life where you realized you've made a mistake? A mistake that will most likely end with you physically hurt? Yeah that's him right now.

It started as soon as he rolled onto the rink-well, more like _tripped_ onto the rink. He grasped at the wall for dear life and clung to it for the duration of ten to twenty minutes before making his way to his friends. He could already see his girlfriend turn around and he watched as she beamed before using her hands in a "come hither" motion.

Putting a finger up to signal that he'll be there soon, he frowned down at his shoes before making a move.

The people greeter's legs were wobbly at first, him muttering soft apologies to the people passing him, but as soon as he regained his balance again, he grinned in triumph as he continued at a faster pace. He must've became a little too cocky because before he knew it, the once great view of the other people before him became one of a wooden floor now very close to his face.

Finn let out a groan as soon as he hit the ground, hissing at the sharp pain coming from one of his knees. Why the hell was such a fun looking activity so hard and painful? He doesn't remember it being this hard when he ice skated. After about three tumbles, two trips, and one weird twist of his ankle, he was finally able to meet up with his friends.

He blushed when he saw Rachel roll towards him, a hand covering her mouth to suppress her very loud giggles. Rolling his eyes playfully and said, "Ha, ha, very funny. Laugh at the klutz, why don't you?"

She took a deep breath, saying, "I'm not laughing at you. It-It was just sweet that you made such a sacrifice to come join me."

He shrugged it off and glanced at Jessie. "Well, I could see from afar that your little _"bae for the day"_ is chatting it up with Kurt, so I decided to come in and give you some company." She smiled warmly at him, grabbing his hand in hers and squeezing it.

"Thank you," she said softly, biting her lip. He gave her a lopsided grin. Boy does he want to kiss her right now...

But he just settled with squeezing her hand back with a nod back as a "you're welcome".

Unfortunately, when it was time to-you know, actually move, let's just say his coordination and balance wasn't as welcoming.

It started when he wanted to get to Puck.

_Wham!_

Then when he tried to go slow...

_Wham! _

Keeping up to his friends most definitely didn't work.

_Wham!_

He actually never knew he could trip on his own feet, but just when he doubted himself...

_Wham_!

A never ending cycle of picking himself back up off the floor and dusting himself off. There was even a moment where he just sat on the ground helplessly. But when he did finally get up...

He was actually skating!

And skating...

And skate-wait, how do you stop this thing?!

_Bam! Crash!_

With a groan, Finn pulled his head away from the wall of the rink, hissing in pain as a few twelve year old girls behind him giggled as they passed. Little punks.

It wasn't until two minutes of whimpering on the floor he felt something wet drip out of his nose.

Great. Just what he needed.

"Shit..." he muttered as he instantly grabbed at his nose. With slow movements he was able to get up after deciding to take the deadly skates off his feet completely. Limping back to his seat, he sighed, grabbing a nearby napkin to fill each nostril. Of course this caught the attention of his best friend from afar and she rushed over as fast as she could with the skates and touched he cheek gently.

"Oh Finn..." she muttered, examining his nose. "This is all my fault-"

"No it isn't," he told her softly. "I should've never thought that skating on wood was going to be any different than skating on ice."

She pouted regardless. "I'm sorry. Do you want me to make up for it when we get home?" Gosh, he loves it when she says, "_we_".

But he sighs instead, "No baby, I'll be okay. It doesn't feel broken, and the bleeding stopped so I probably just need ice or something later."

She smirked at him. "Are you sure you don't want to have your alone time now? We can just call this whole thing a night and we can go home-"

"No, you've been planning this whole thing for like, a lifetime. I don't want you to miss a moment of it. I actually think Jessie's getting along with them." He gazed into her chocolate orbs with a small grin. "Go back and have fun. Please, Rach?"

She nodded slowly, and said, "Fine. But the offer still stands." He laughed when she winked at him before placing a soft peck on his cheek.

As he watched her leave, a hand on his shoulder caught his attention and he frowned as the Jessie gave him a small ziplock bag of ice.

"Thanks..." he muttered, taking it reluctantly. Jessie smiled and took a seat next to him. A minute of silence passed before he spoke again.

"That was quite a show you did up there."

Finn scoffed and looked down at his lap dejectedly. "I'm glad you were entertained."

He chuckled. "Oh, I was. Especially when you had that face to face conversation with the wall over there. Now that was hilarious!" He laughed but stopped at the glare that was sent his way in response.

Another awkward moment of silence passed as both guys stared at the brunette, both smiling softly at the way she did some skating tricks with Mercedes.

"You know she adores you, right?" Taken aback, Finn looked at him in surprise. His blue eyes locked with his.

"Like, she really adores you." Pulling the ice pack from his face, Finn nodded slowly.

"Well, I like her too...like that."

"I just wanted to let you know that. I know you were dragged into this just as fast as I was. Any normal guy would probably go insane with the amount of things you're keeping. But you seem different," he said with a smile. "You must really love her."

Finn's answer was almost automatic, "Well, she's my best friend. She's been with me through thick and thin and we've barely known each other for a year. She's...she's just so special to me and I don't know what I would do without her." They both gazed at the brunette from afar. "If lying for a bit about our relationship will keep her happy, I'll do it. Hell, I'd do it forever if I'd have to." Finn chuckled to himself before shaking his head. "I don't think that means that I love her, but..." he grew silent all of a sudden and sat there with wide eyes, suddenly stiff.

_Holy shit. _

He must've said that out loud because the blue eyed Broadway fanatic laughed at him, patting him on the back.

_He loves her._

"I just wanted to come to you and clear the air. I already have a girlfriend so don't worry about me stealing Rachel from you at some nonsense like that. She's just a little too intense for me," Jessie continued, chuckling.

Finn remained wide eyed, staring straight ahead while completely silent.

Jessie nodded slowly and patted him on the back awkwardly. "Okay then." With that he stood up and left, leaving the giant with this overriding thoughts.

_He loves her._

* * *

"_I woke up this morning and decided to swallow the sun."_ Sam smiled as the whole table erupted in laughter.

Well- _almost _everyone.

Santana rose her hand and frowned at the blonde janitor. "I'm sorry, who was that supposed to be?"

Sam gaped at her. "James Earl Jones?"

From his seat, Artie gasped. "You seriously don't know who James Earl Jones is? God woman, have you been living under a rock?!"

She shrugged and said, "Might as well. I live in a small studio apartment in Harlem with a roommate I met on Craigslist."

"She only has channel two news and Univision Spanish tv," Brittany added.

"See? You can't blame me."

From across from her, Finn frowned and looked around him. "Hey, where's Puck? I'm just wondering because it's been awhile since he's done something disturbing like burp really loudly or flirt with the employees here."

"By the way, does he act like at all the time?" Jessie asked suddenly.

"Yes," responded everyone in unison.

"I just don't understand how someone could move from one girl to the next so fast," Mercedes said.

"Maybe he's just looking for the right one," the Jessie said, looking down at Rachel before pulling her closer to him. With a fake sincere smile, she cuddled closer to him. Sensing her discomfort, Finn soothingly rubbed her leg under the table next to her.

"I think he's already found '_the one_'," Finn said, air quoting the phrase.

Kurt rose an eyebrow. "Really? Who?"

Suddenly, a winded Quinn and Puck rushed to their table, the blond holding a Manila folder in her hand.

"Guys, we have something to tell you," Puck said calmly.

Santana scowled, "Wait, why is she here? The last time I checked, this is a place for non-psychopaths-"

"Santana would you just shut up for one fucking moment? This is important."

"What could possibly be more important?" Questioned Mercedes from her seat. "It's very clear how Quinn feels about us-"

"I know you guys are angry with me," Quinn interrupted. "I know; I haven't treated you guys the best, especially you, Rachel." Her eyes were filled with remorse as she glanced at the brunette. "And I'm sorry. I've hurt a lot of you and I know it's going to take some time for you all to forgive me, but I'm hoping I can get back into your good graces."

"And why should we do that?" Kurt asked with a raised eyebrow. "You're obviously having the time of your life working with Sue-"

"Guys, come on," Finn piped in. "Let's just listen to what she has to say." With a grateful smile, Quinn nodded at him.

"I know you guys may think things are better over there but it's not."

"Guys, there is some fucked up shit going on at Sue's," Puck said. "She's turning all of the girls into..._objects_, and the things she's making her employees do to gain money and recognition is sick. Opening the Manila envelope, he pulled out a few sheets of paper before handing it to Sam to pass it around.

"Sue is making us sell our body's for profit. Right now she's having us do a photo shoot for a Sue's kids fitness calendar that's literally a playboy magazine. The papers you are seeing right now are ones from the scientists at Penn state where I had them dissect Sue's new master cleanse product," Quinn said.

Tina gaped at the paper in horror, "Placenta and _ipecac_? _Alcohol?_ This is terrible!"

"And they've also got lemon, yuck!" Brittany grimaced before passing it over.

"And that's not all," Puck said. "We've met up with some old friends of mine who've worked with Sue and they have files and files of cases that should've gotten her arrested. Drug trafficking, prostitution, it's all in these documents."

"Why are you showing us this?" Mike asked.

"We have information that can bring Sue down. All of the torture and pains she's put us and other people through is not fair. And if we were to show this to the judges, she'd finally get what she deserves," Quinn explained.

Jessie decided to speak up,"But what about a lawyer? You guys have to have a professional who handles cases like these to actually win. I mean, to get away with all of this, Sue must be very powerful." Quinn frowned at him.

"I'm sorry, who are you?"

Chuckling he said, "Sorry, I'm Jessie St. James. Rachel's boyfriend."

Slightly lost, she nodded slowly. "Okay?"

"We have a lawyer already, and witnesses. We even have a petition right here from current and past employees who want her locked up." Puck passed out many copies of the lists of names.

"Guys, this could actually work," Finn piped in, scanning the files. "With the amount of violations she's made, she could be held for up to twenty years." He looked up from the paper to find everyone staring at him. "What?" He said, blushing.

"Why are you suddenly interested in this, Quinn? What makes you think we could trust you?" Mercedes asked.

"I'm quitting my job," she answered firmly. "I don't want to be Sue's little doll anymore. I want to be free."

It was Rachel's time to speak, "Why not quit now?"

"She's staying there for a few weeks to get enough evidence for the cases."

"Which turns out to be really difficult because of how confidential she is about things," the blonde beauty explained.

"We just wanted to let you guys know, and see if we have your support," said Puck. "We really want to take Sue down once and for all."

"Well, I'm in. It's about time we set the bitch straight," Santana said bluntly. Soon one by one, more people agreed with the idea and the couple soon went on to elaborate about the process.

As Finn was listening to his friends, a nudge at his side caught his attention. Rachel cut her eye at him before discretely sliding a napkin towards him. With a frown he looked down at it before smirking at what he found.

_Meet me at the bathroom_

He watched as she slowly stood up from the table, softly excusing herself before walking towards the hall with the bathrooms, sending him a wink for good measure. With blush rushing to his cheeks, Finn sat there and pretended to look interested for five minutes before heading in the same direction. But before he could even grab the bathroom knob, he was yanked by his arm into the closet next to him.

"What the-" a familiar giggle could be heard in the darkness and Finn grinned before turning a. Darby switch on.

"Surprise!" She smiled so adorably at him before leaning up and kissing him on the lips, avoiding his still throbbing nose.

"You sneaky little..." he reached over to tickle her sides as she laughed louder.

"Shhh..." he put a finger to his lips before leaning down and kissing her again. He felt her wrap her arms around his neck, pulling him closer before standing on her tippy-toes. By accident her nose bumped with his, causing a wave a pain to shoot through his whole nose. With a grimace he pulled back and hissed quietly.

"Oh Finn, I'm so sorry. It's my stupid nose. It's always in the way," she looked at him with sorry eyes before pouting.

Finn grinned. Can she get any cuter?

"Stop doing that," he said softly.

"Doing what?"

"Talking down about yourself. Your nose is beautiful." He tapped her nose with his finger affectionately for good measure. He watched as she blushed and looked down at the ground.

"Thank you," she whispered.

"You don't have to thank me. It's my job." With a beaming smile, she wrapped her arms around him in a hug before lifting her head and pressing her lips to his gently. Sighing, Finn depended the kiss, ignoring the pain in his nose as they got closer to each other. After about two minutes of making out, he pulled his head back slightly, his lips still on hers.

"Baby?" He murmured against her lips.

"Hmm?"

"They're probably looking for us." With a sigh, she stepped back from him and sighed.

"Okay." Rachel kissed his cheek softly before leaving the closet reluctantly, him following after five minutes.

Finn sighed defeatedly as he saw Jessie immediately take her hand in his and watched as everyone started packing up to leave.

From the exit doors of the rink, Rachel blushed under Jessie's knowing smirk.

"I don't want to hear it."

"Oh you won't," he responded, chuckling. "I'm just glad you got to do it." Rolling her eyes at his laughter, she looked back at Finn before following her _'boyfriend'_ outside.

Finn sighed as he walked out alone from behind them.

_What a day. _

* * *

**There you guys go! There's my Christmas present. This took me three months to complete and I have to say I am really sorry. But be prepared to see more soon! Love you guys!**

**~Vikki3775**


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